2014 Falcon 50 Vnukovo ground collision

2014 Vnukovo Falcon 50 ground collision
The airplane 9 months before the accident
Accident
Date 20 October 2014 (2014-10-20)
Summary Incursion by ground vehicle resulting in collision during takeoff
Site Vnukovo International Airport, Moscow, Russia
Aircraft
Aircraft type Dassault Falcon 50
Registration F-GLSA
Flight origin Vnukovo International Airport, Moscow, Russia
Destination Paris, France
Passengers 1
Crew 3
Fatalities 4
Injuries 1 on the ground
Survivors 0

On 20 October 2014, a Dassault Falcon 50 hit a snowplow while carrying Total oil company Chairman and CEO Christophe de Margerie on a flight back to Paris, France. All 4 people on the aircraft were killed during the incident, which took place at about 23:00 on October 20, 2014 on Vnukovo International Airport, Moscow.[1]

The aeroplane

Dassault Falcon 50EX with tail number F-GLSA, serial number 348, first flight was performed in 2006. At the time of the incident it had been used for 7 years and 11 months. The airplane was in ownership of a private person and was operated by 'Unijet' company, which specializes in business aviation.

Crash

On 20 October 2014 at 23:57 MSK the aircraft hit a snowplow when taking off resulting the destruction of the aircraft, which burned, and death of all occupants. Reports indicate the driver of the snowplow, Vladimir Martynenko, was drunk. "At the current time, it has been established that the driver of the snowplow was in a state of alcoholic intoxication," Tatyana Morozova, an official with the Investigative Committee, Russia's main investigative agency.[1]

Investigation and trial

Five people were eventually charged with a crime: airport aerodrome service lead engineer Vladimir Ledenev, snowplow driver Vladimir Martynenko, air traffic controller Aleksandr Kruglov, trainee controller Svetlana Krivsun and Vnukovo flight director Roman Dunayev.[2] Martynenko, Ledenev and Krivsun were charged with violating the article 263.3 of the Criminal Code of Russia (violating safety rules of transportation and air travel, which led by neglect to death of two or more people).[3][4][5] As of May 2016, the investigation was continuing on the matter of three more potential accused, Vnukovo Airport shift director Sergei Kosik, branch director of Moscow Air Traffic Control Center Vladimir Uzhakov and Uzhakov's deputy Aleksandr Povaliy.[6] The final version of the indictment was issued on 18 January 2016.[7]

In March 2016, 5 insurance companies (Berkshire Hathaway International Insurance, Tokio Marine Kiln, Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Group, Great Lakes Reinsurance and Mapfre) have sued the airport for 10 million euros to recover the payments made to their clients in connection with the incident.[8] The lawsuit was suspended in August 2016 until the resolution of the criminal case.[9]

On 7 July 2017, Martynenko and Ledenev were sentenced to 4 and 3.5 years of imprisonment respectively following a guilty plea, and immediately amnestied. The charges against Dunayev, Kruglov and air traffic controller Nadezhda Arkhipova were moved into a separate case.[10] Charges against Krivsun were dismissed in early 2016 due to "absence of criminal actions".[11] On 24 July 2017, the court accepted an appeal on Martynenko's and Lebedev's sentences from Patrick Vervelle, whose wife, stewardess Ruslana, died in the crash. According to Russian law, Vervelle is considered a victim of this crime.[12] Vervelle's civil suit against the airport was not accepted by the court earlier.[13]

In January 2018, Moscow's Arbitration Court accepted a lawsuit by Unijet, the company that was operating the aircraft, against Vnukovo International Airport and FGUP "Goskorporatsiya po OrVD" (the Russian government-owned air traffic control corporation), for 6,700,000 euros in damages.[14]

References

  1. 1 2 Associated Press (21 October 2014). "Christophe de Margerie, CEO of Total SA, dead in Moscow runway crash - Driver of snowplow that plane collided with reportedly drunk". CBC News. Retrieved 5 April 2015.
  2. ↑ "Мера пресечения всем фигурантам дела о крушении Falcon во "Внуково" продлена" (in Russian). Russian Legal Information Agency. 4 April 2015.
  3. ↑ Предъявлено обвинение снегоуборщику Мартыненко по делу о ЧП во Внуково (in Russian). Russian Legal Information Agency. 31 October 2014.
  4. ↑ Инженеру Леденеву предъявлено обвинение по делу о гибели де Маржери (in Russian). Russian Legal Information Agency. 31 October 2014.
  5. ↑ Диспетчеру-стажеру из "Внуково" предъявлено обвинение (in Russian). Russian Legal Information Agency. 29 October 2014.
  6. ↑ "СК завершил расследование дела против обвиняемых в крушении самолета главы Total" (in Russian). Russian Legal Information Agency. 26 March 2015.
  7. ↑ СК предъявил окончательные обвинения по делу о гибели главы Total - адвокат (in Russian). Russian Legal Information Agency. 18 January 2016.
  8. ↑ Суд рассмотрит иск к Внуково на 10 млн евро из-за крушения самолета главы Total. Russian Legal Information Agency. 2 March 2016.
  9. ↑ Суд приостановил дело по иску страховщиков из-за крушения самолета главы Total (in Russian). Russian Legal Information Agency. 23 August 2016.
  10. ↑ Суд амнистировал двух фигурантов дела о крушении Falcon главы Total (in Russian). Russian Legal Information Agency. 7 July 2017.
  11. ↑ Адвокат: СК снял обвинения с одной из фигуранток дела о гибели главы Total (in Russian). Russian Legal Information Agency. 14 January 2016.
  12. ↑ Потерпевший обжаловал приговор по делу о крушении самолета Falcon (in Russian). Russian Legal Information Agency. 24 July 2017.
  13. ↑ Суд не принял иск мужа стюардессы на 30 млн руб к "Внуково" за крушение Falcon (in Russian). Russian Legal Information Agency. 7 July 2017.
  14. ↑ Суд принял к производству иск фирмы-эксплуатанта самолета главы Total к "Внуково" (in Russian). Russian Legal Information Agency. 9 January 2018.

Coordinates: 55°35′46″N 37°16′03″E / 55.5961°N 37.2675°E / 55.5961; 37.2675

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.