Four more detained in Moscow after death of Total oil company boss

Russian officials investigating the plane crash that killed the Total oil company boss and three others have detained four more members of staff at Moscow’s Vnukovo airport. Christophe de Margerie was killed when the private plane in which he and three others were travelling collided with a snowplough. Those being held include a snow plough driver, a trainee air traffic controller, her supervisor, the head of the airport’s air traffic controllers and the head of the runway cleaners’ department.

The investigation suggests that these people did not respect the norms of flight security and ground operations, which led to the tragedy.

Investigative Committee statement

The snowplough driver, who investigators accuse of being drunk at the time of the incident, has appeared in court for a hearing to decide whether he should be formally arrested, as investigators want. Vladimir Martynenko insisted he was lost, not drunk. He said: “The plane was running up to takeoff and I practically couldn’t see it because my equipment was on. There weren’t even any lights, nothing.” Interfax news agency reported the driver had admitted drinking coffee with a liqueur before driving the snowplough and that tests afterwards found a small amount of alcohol in his blood.

When I lost my bearings, I myself didn’t notice when I drove onto the runway.

Snow plough driver Vladimir Martynenko

World Christophe de Margerie