CEO of French oil giant Total dies in Moscow plane accident
The CEO of French giant oil giant Total, 63-year-old Christophe de Margerie, died in a plane accident around midnight on Tuesday in Moscow, Russian news agency TASS reported, according to Business Insider.
De Margerie — who has been dogged by allegations of corruption during his tenure at Total — was in Russia attending a government meeting on foreign investment, according to Reuters. Total is a top foreign investor in Russia.
The Falcon 50 plane that was due to fly to Paris crashed into a snow removal machine during takeoff at Moscow's Vnukovo airport. The crash damaged the plane, so the pilot decided to turn around and land, Russia Today reported.
The plane started sending distress signals while it was still in the air, reporting an engine fire, according to Russia Today, which cited the Russian-language publication Life News. The plane was on fire as it crashed onto the runway, killing everybody on board — including de Margerie and three crew members.