[Pappadeux]

Interfax reported, that Christophe de Margerie, Head of Total, died in aircrash in Vnukovo Intnl airport, Moscow

During takeoff, with bad visibility due to show storm, his private jet hit a snow plow

5 people died, and judging by names, 4 are French (CdM, two pilots and secretary or stewardess?), and one guy name looks local, snow plow operator, I guess

[ROCKMAN]

From last Sept: French oil and gas company Total said western sanctions against Russia has forced it to halt a joint venture with Russia’s Lukoil to explore shale oil in western Siberia."

So grab your tin foil hats and rev up the conspiracy theory machines. LOL.

[GHung]

Not seeing anything in the MSM yet. He's the guy that said the floor for for Alberta sands was around $80, @ 2010.

[Pappadeux]

just a reference

http://lenta.ru/news/2014/10/21/total/

[GHung]

This just popped up on Wikipedia:

On 21 October 2014, a Dassault Falcon 50 business jet heading to Paris crashed in Vnukovo International Airport during takeoff after colliding with a snow removal vehicle, and killing five, including three crew members and CEO of Total S.A. Christophe de Margerie onboard, and also the driver of the vehicle on the ground.
Senior Management
Christophe de Margerie was chief executive since 14 February 2007 until 21 October 2014, when he died in a jet crash at the Vnukovo Airport in Moscow . His total annual compensation for this role was €2,746,335, consisting of a €1,250,000 salary and €1,496,335 bonus.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Total_S.A.

[ROCKMAN]

Ghung - Just as I suspect: a suicidal ISIS snowplow driver. Or at least what the CIA wants you to believe.

[AndyA]

From last Sept: French oil and gas company Total said western sanctions against Russia has forced it to halt a joint venture with Russia’s Lukoil to explore shale oil in western Siberia."

So grab your tin foil hats and rev up the conspiracy theory machines. LOL.

Oil major Total's chief executive said on Saturday the euro should have a bigger role in international trade although it was not possible to do without the U.S. dollar.

Christophe de Margerie was responding to questions about calls by French policymakers to find ways at EU level to bolster the use of the euro in international business following a record U.S. fine for BNP.

"Doing without the (U.S.) dollar, that wouldn't be realistic, but it would be good if the euro was used more," he told reporters.

"There is no reason to pay for oil in dollars," he said. He said the fact that oil prices are quoted in dollars per barrel did not mean that payments actually had to be made in that currency.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/07/ ... E720140705

[rockdoc123]

Wow. I actually met him, accidentally when we were evacuating a high end hotel in Qatar based on a fire alarm at three in the morning. He ran me over trying to run down the stairs.
His moustache was still properly combed!

Sad day for Total I think.

[Poordogabone]

He was apparently the only passenger. I feel bad for the crew (and their families) who took off in bad weather conditions for this V.I.P.

[JuanP]

Rock "Ghung - Just as I suspect: a suicidal ISIS snowplow driver. Or at least what the CIA wants you to believe."
I thought I was the official CIA conspiracy theorist here at PO. Are you being serious or making a joke?

[dissident]

How many other snowplow incidents did this airport have and how many close calls? Seems like a rather unlikely risk but definitely not zero.

[Pappadeux]

Of all Moscow airports (SVO, DME, VKO) Vnukovo Intnl (VKO) unanimously considered to be the worst one

[Cid_Yama]

The driver of a snow plow involved in the plane crash that killed the chief executive of French oil major Total denies he is guilty and relatives say he never drinks, his lawyer said on Tuesday.

Russia's Investigative Committee said Vladimir Martynenko was in a condition of alcoholic intoxication when the snow plow he was driving was in a collision with the private jet carrying Christophe de Margerie.

"He (Martynenko) is in shock. He considers himself guiltless as he followed all the instructions from the dispatcher," lawyer Alexander Karabanov told Reuters.

He said his client would appeal against what the lawyer called the official version that Martynenko "was in a condition of alcoholic intoxication".

"According to his relatives, he was sober in the morning and he doesn't drink at all due to chronic heart disease. Relatives are afraid that the airport authorities are just trying to make him ultimately responsible to avoid billions in lawsuits which are for sure to follow," Karabanov said.

link

Snow plow driver did not die and he appears to be being framed for the accident.

In the article I read, they interviewed the snow plow driver who said he did not hear hear the plane over the noise of the snow plow, and there were no lights. First he was aware of the aircraft was when it hit.

Airport was socked in with fog and several planes at the time were diverted to other airports.

Apparent cause of the crash was the plane attempting to take off in minimal visibility.

Tried to find the article again with the interview but couldn't.

[Cid_Yama]

During the recent months, Christophe de Margerie, Total CEO, was lobbying the delivery of French helicopter carriers Mistral to Russia.

In June of this year, Christophe de Margerie gave an interview to RBC, in which he said that Total did not panic about the restrictions imposed by the United States against Total's partner, Gennady Timchenko. He also said that Total was not going to close its business in Russia.

Commenting on the situation after the imposition of sanctions against Russia, Christophe de Margerie said that the partnership between Total and Novatek had not suffered any changes. "The same situation is with Lukoil, Gazprom, Zarubezhneft and Rosneft.

In September, The Financial Times reported that Total had suspended cooperation with Lukoil in Western Siberia. After Timchenko was included on the list of sanctioned individuals, Christophe de Margerie called him his friend.

link

[Sixstrings]

The only thing I heard on the news about this was that "the snow plow driver was drunk."

So what do you guys think, what's the consensus, was it an accident or something fishy?

[sparky]

.
The snow plow operator wasn't drunk and didn't die , he is now under arrest

the plane was a non scheduled flight ,landings had been suspended ,
visibility was poor but a private jet could take off without problem
all indications are that it just a very stupid accident .
the Russian authorities are extremely unhappy with this accident and are casting a large net.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2014/10/2 ... DT20141023

[pana_burda]

Rock "Ghung - Just as I suspect: a suicidal ISIS snowplow driver. Or at least what the CIA wants you to believe."
I thought I was the official CIA conspiracy theorist here at PO. Are you being serious or making a joke?

Just looooove those outbursts of vivid imagination