MOSCOW, October 21 (RIA Novosti) – Air traffic controllers at Moscow’s Vnukovo Airport will be tested for alcohol and drugs in the follow up into investigations into the plane crash that killed French oil giant Total’s CEO when the aircraft hit a snowplow on the runway, Russian Investigative Committee Spokesman Vladimir Markin said Tuesday.
The Investigative Committee earlier detained the snowplow driver for 48 hours. Earlier in the day, Russian investigators confirmed that the driver of the snowplow was drunk at the time of accident.
“Other versions [of the accident] are being investigated, including air traffic controller error and investigators are actively working with them, and I can say that they will also be checked on the use of alcohol and psychotropic substances,” Markin said.
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.
A mistake by air traffic control, the actions of the snowplow driver, bad weather conditions and the possibility of pilot error have been named among possible causes of the accident.
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