A French industrialist and three crew members were reportedly killed early Tuesday when their Falcon 50 business jet reportedly hit a snowplow on a runway at Moscow’s Vnukovo Airport. Early reports were not clear on the phase of flight the aircraft was in but did say the crew managed to keep it airborne for a landing attempt after reporting an engine fire and fuselage damage. The aircraft landed hard, the gear collapsed and it rolled over before erupting in flame, according to a report in eTurboNews.
The dead were identified as Christophe de Margerie, president of the French energy firm Total, and three crew members: flight attendant Rassi Peraforya Maxim and pilots Jean Marie Falyuk Ruslan and Nikon Yann Jacques Joseph. The temperature in Moscow was 32 degrees and snow had been reported according to Weather Underground.
