Updated 12:59 p.m. Moscow time
MOSCOW, October 21 (RIA Novosti) – The driver of the snowplow, which the private jet of the head of French oil giant Total crashed into on a Moscow runway and resulted in the death of three crew members and the oil company chief, remains in serious condition, Deputy Moscow Mayor Leonid Pechatnikov said Tuesday.
“The driver’s condition remains serious,” Pechatnikov told RIA Novosti.
Earlier in the day, Russian investigators confirmed that the driver of the snowplow was drunk at the time of accident.
The Falcon 50 business jet crashed late Monday night in the Vnukovo-3 Airport in Moscow after the aircraft hit a snow removal vehicle on takeoff. The aircraft was flying from Moscow to Paris with Total CEO Christophe de Margerie as the only passenger on board besides three crew members, also French citizens. All four died in the crash.
Russia’s Investigative Committee is considering two possibilities behind the crash - a traffic control mistake and the actions of the snowplow driver, which was found to be drunk at the time of the accident. The investigators are also checking if the plane could have crashed due to bad weather conditions or a mistake by the pilot.
A criminal investigation has been launched into a possible violation of aircraft safe-driving regulations, resulting in the death of two or more persons.
The plane’s black boxes have been recovered and are currently being processed.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed his condolences over the Christophe de Margerie death. Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev called the Total head’s death “a big loss,” as he was “a friend and a partner” of Russia.
