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CEO of oil giant Total killed in Moscow plane crash

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The CEO of French oil company Total, Christophe de Margerie died in a plane crash at a Moscow airport after his private jet struck a snow plough on takeoff.

Total confirmed the death of the 63-year-old early on Tuesday.

"The Total Group confirms with great and profound sadness that its CEO Christophe de Margerie died last night shortly after 10pm (Paris time) in an air crash at Vnukovo airport in Moscow following a collision with a snow removing machine," Total said in a statement.

Russian investigators said Tuesday the driver of the snowplough was drunk.

"It has been established that the driver of the snowplough was in a drunk state," the investigating unit said in a statement, adding that a preliminary theory was that "an error by the pilots and the actions of the snowplough driver" were to blame for the deadly accident.

Just hours earlier De Margerie had met Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev at his country residence outside Moscow to discuss foreign investment in Russia, Vedomosti business daily reported.

The Vnukovo airport said in a statement that the Falcon Dassault business aviation jet crashed as it prepared to take off for Paris with one passenger and three crew on board.

"During run-up at 11:57 pm, there was a collision with the airport's snow plough. As a result of the crash, the passenger and all the crew members died," the airport's statement said.

The airport said that visibility was at 350 metres at the time of the accident.

It said its rescue services were sent to the scene and "immediately started extinguishing a fire that had broken out".

TASS news agency also said four people had died.

"There was one passenger registered on the plane, French citizen Christophe de Margerie. The three crew members were also French citizens. They all died," the TASS news agency cited an aviation source as saying.

Total CEO Christophe De Margerie (R)  seen with former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev near Moscow...
Total CEO Christophe De Margerie (R), seen with former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev near Moscow in this file photo from March 2011, has died in a plane crash
Mikhail Klimentyev, RIA NOVOSTI/AFP/File

The crash is being investigated by the Interstate Aviation Committee, which probes all Russian air crashes, and experts from Russia's federal aviation agency, the airport said.

The head of the federal aviation agency, Alexander Neradko, has taken charge of the investigation, the Interfax news agency reported.

The airport was closed temporarily to clear up the scene of the accident but resumed normal operations at 1:30 am.

De Margerie had been chief executive of Total, Europe's third largest oil company, since 2007.

He had worked for the company for 40 years, spending his entire career there, and was known affectionately as the "Big Moustache" because of his prominent facial hair which was his most striking feature.

The son of diplomats and business leaders, he was the grandson of Pierre Taittinger, founder of Taittinger champagne and the luxury goods dynasty.

Married with three children, he was known for his good humour but De Margerie had steered Total through tough times including defending the company against allegations of corruption during the UN "oil-for-food" programme in Iraq.

Highly regarded within the oil industry, De Margerie admitted the allegations had taken their toll on the company.

"Most people, when they speak of Total do not know what it is, but know it is not good," he said in 2009.

The CEO of French oil company Total, Christophe de Margerie died in a plane crash at a Moscow airport after his private jet struck a snow plough on takeoff.

Total confirmed the death of the 63-year-old early on Tuesday.

“The Total Group confirms with great and profound sadness that its CEO Christophe de Margerie died last night shortly after 10pm (Paris time) in an air crash at Vnukovo airport in Moscow following a collision with a snow removing machine,” Total said in a statement.

Russian investigators said Tuesday the driver of the snowplough was drunk.

“It has been established that the driver of the snowplough was in a drunk state,” the investigating unit said in a statement, adding that a preliminary theory was that “an error by the pilots and the actions of the snowplough driver” were to blame for the deadly accident.

Just hours earlier De Margerie had met Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev at his country residence outside Moscow to discuss foreign investment in Russia, Vedomosti business daily reported.

The Vnukovo airport said in a statement that the Falcon Dassault business aviation jet crashed as it prepared to take off for Paris with one passenger and three crew on board.

“During run-up at 11:57 pm, there was a collision with the airport’s snow plough. As a result of the crash, the passenger and all the crew members died,” the airport’s statement said.

The airport said that visibility was at 350 metres at the time of the accident.

It said its rescue services were sent to the scene and “immediately started extinguishing a fire that had broken out”.

TASS news agency also said four people had died.

“There was one passenger registered on the plane, French citizen Christophe de Margerie. The three crew members were also French citizens. They all died,” the TASS news agency cited an aviation source as saying.

Total CEO Christophe De Margerie (R)  seen with former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev near Moscow...

Total CEO Christophe De Margerie (R), seen with former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev near Moscow in this file photo from March 2011, has died in a plane crash
Mikhail Klimentyev, RIA NOVOSTI/AFP/File

The crash is being investigated by the Interstate Aviation Committee, which probes all Russian air crashes, and experts from Russia’s federal aviation agency, the airport said.

The head of the federal aviation agency, Alexander Neradko, has taken charge of the investigation, the Interfax news agency reported.

The airport was closed temporarily to clear up the scene of the accident but resumed normal operations at 1:30 am.

De Margerie had been chief executive of Total, Europe’s third largest oil company, since 2007.

He had worked for the company for 40 years, spending his entire career there, and was known affectionately as the “Big Moustache” because of his prominent facial hair which was his most striking feature.

The son of diplomats and business leaders, he was the grandson of Pierre Taittinger, founder of Taittinger champagne and the luxury goods dynasty.

Married with three children, he was known for his good humour but De Margerie had steered Total through tough times including defending the company against allegations of corruption during the UN “oil-for-food” programme in Iraq.

Highly regarded within the oil industry, De Margerie admitted the allegations had taken their toll on the company.

“Most people, when they speak of Total do not know what it is, but know it is not good,” he said in 2009.

AFP
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With 2,400 staff representing 100 different nationalities, AFP covers the world as a leading global news agency. AFP provides fast, comprehensive and verified coverage of the issues affecting our daily lives.

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