Unijet Flight 074P
{{Update| reason = the official accident report is available in the External Links section and should be used to expand the article accordingly| date = November 2018}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2018}}
{{Infobox aircraft occurrence
| name = Unijet Flight 074P
| image = File:Wreckage of Unijet Dassault Falcon 50EX F-GLSA.jpg
| alt =
| caption = The flipped wreckage of F-GLSA
| occurrence_type = Accident
| date = {{start date|2014|10|20|df=yes}}
| summary = Runway incursion by ground vehicle; collision on take-off
| site = Vnukovo International Airport, Moscow, Russia
| coordinates = {{Coord|55.5961|N|37.2675|E|type:event|display=inline,title}}
| plane1_image = F-GLSA_(12295390256).jpg
| plane1_caption = F-GLSA, the Falcon 50 involved, photographed nine months before the accident
| total_fatalities = 4
| total_injuries = 1
| ground_injuries = 1
| aircraft_type = Dassault Falcon 50
| aircraft_name =
| callsign =
| tail_number = F-GLSA
| origin = Vnukovo International Airport, Moscow, Russia
| stopover =
| destination = Paris, France
| occupants = 4
| passengers = 1
| crew = 3
| fatalities = 4
| survivors = 0
}}
On 20 October 2014, Unijet Flight 074, a Dassault Falcon 50 business jet taking off from Vnukovo International Airport in Moscow, Russia, crashed into a snow plow that had strayed onto the runway, killing all four people on board. Among the victims was Total's Chairman and CEO Christophe de Margerie, who was returning to Paris, France.{{cite news|url = http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/christophe-de-margerie-ceo-of-total-sa-dead-in-moscow-runway-crash-1.2806891|title = Christophe de Margerie, CEO of Total SA, dead in Moscow runway crash|access-date = 5 April 2015|agency = Associated Press|date = 21 October 2014| work = CBC News}}
The driver of the snow removal vehicle, who was injured in the collision, was found to have alcohol in his blood and subsequently pleaded guilty to causing de Margerie's death.{{cite news |last1=Osborn |first1=Andrew |last2=Stolyarov |first2=Gleb |title=Airport staff involved in Total CEO plane crash had been drinking: regulator |url=https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-france-russia-total-crash/airport-staff-involved-in-total-ceo-plane-crash-had-been-drinking-regulator-idUKKCN12P1Z8 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181125030758/https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-france-russia-total-crash/airport-staff-involved-in-total-ceo-plane-crash-had-been-drinking-regulator-idUKKCN12P1Z8 |url-status=dead |archive-date=25 November 2018 |access-date=24 November 2018 |work=Reuters |date=25 October 2016}}
Accident
The accident occurred in darkness at 23:57 Moscow Time (MSK). While executing Flight 074P's take-off run, the Falcon 50 struck with its right wing and landing gear a snow clearing vehicle that was occupying the runway. The jet rolled inverted and crashed on the grass next to the runway. A post-impact fire broke out, but was quickly extinguished by the airport's fire crew. There were no survivors among the four people on board the jet: two pilots, a flight attendant{{cite web |title=Mort du PDG de Total : la piste de l'erreur de pilotage |url=https://www.leparisien.fr/faits-divers/mort-du-pdg-de-total-la-piste-de-l-erreur-de-pilotage-05-11-2016-6291033.php |website=Le Parisien Newspaper |access-date=14 August 2020 |date=5 Nov 2016}} and Margerie, the only passenger.{{cite news |title=Total's CEO Christophe de Margerie dies in Moscow plane crash |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/business-29699733 |access-date=24 November 2018 |work=BBC News |date=21 October 2014}}{{Cite web |url=http://en.ria.ru/russia/20141021/194362116/Flight-Data-Recorders-Taken-From-Plane-Crash-Site-in-Vnukovo.html/ |title=Flight Data Recorders Taken From Plane Crash Site in Vnukovo: Airport Spokesperson – report |access-date=2014-10-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141021142051/http://en.ria.ru/russia/20141021/194362116/Flight-Data-Recorders-Taken-From-Plane-Crash-Site-in-Vnukovo.html |archive-date=2014-10-21 |url-status=dead }}
Aircraft
The Dassault Falcon 50EX with tail number F-GLSA, serial number 348, first flew in 2006 and was less than eight years old.{{cite web |title=Final Report Falcon 50EX F-GLSA |url=https://mak-iac.org/upload/iblock/e12/Final_Report_eng_F-GLSA.pdf |access-date=14 August 2020 |website= |publisher=Interstate Aviation Committee}} The airplane was owned by Sanofi-Aventis Groupe SA {{cite web |title=Plane Spotting F-GLSA |url=https://www.planelogger.com/Aircraft/Registration/F-GLSA/618991 |website=Planelogger |access-date=14 August 2020}} but operated by Unijet, which specializes in business aviation.{{cite web |title=Unijet Co. Profile |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/profile/company/4633161Z:FP |website=Bloomberg |access-date=14 August 2020}}
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.{{cite web|publisher=Russian Legal Information Agency|url=http://www.rapsinews.ru/moscourts_news/20150409/273522419.html|title=Мера пресечения всем фигурантам дела о крушении Falcon во "Внуково" продлена|language=ru|date=4 April 2015}} 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).{{cite news|publisher=Russian Legal Information Agency|url=http://www.rapsinews.ru/moscourts_news/20141031/272507420.html|script-title=ru:Предъявлено обвинение снегоуборщику Мартыненко по делу о ЧП во Внуково|language=ru|date=31 October 2014|newspaper=Рапси }}{{cite web|publisher=Russian Legal Information Agency|url=http://www.rapsinews.ru/incident_news/20141031/272502126.html|script-title=ru:Инженеру Леденеву предъявлено обвинение по делу о гибели де Маржери|language=ru|date=31 October 2014}}{{cite web|publisher=Russian Legal Information Agency|url=http://www.rapsinews.ru/incident_news/20141029/272485712.html|script-title=ru:Диспетчеру-стажеру из "Внуково" предъявлено обвинение|language=ru|date=29 October 2014}} {{as of|2016|May}}, 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.{{cite web|publisher=Russian Legal Information Agency|url=http://www.rapsinews.ru/judicial_news/20150326/273429459.html|title=СК завершил расследование дела против обвиняемых в крушении самолета главы Total|date=26 March 2015|language=ru}} The final version of the indictment was issued on 18 January 2016.{{cite web|publisher=Russian Legal Information Agency|url=http://www.rapsinews.ru/incident_news/20160118/275235251.html|script-title=ru:СК предъявил окончательные обвинения по делу о гибели главы Total - адвокат|date=18 January 2016|language=ru}}
In March 2016, 5 insurance companies (Berkshire Hathaway International Insurance, Tokio Marine Kiln, Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Group, Great Lakes Reinsurance and Mapfre) sued the airport for 10 million euros to recover the payments made to their clients in connection with the incident.{{cite web|publisher=Russian Legal Information Agency|url=http://www.rapsinews.ru/arbitration/20160302/275505311.html|script-title=ru:Суд рассмотрит иск к Внуково на 10 млн евро из-за крушения самолета главы Total|date=2 March 2016}} The lawsuit was suspended in August 2016 until the resolution of the criminal case.{{cite web|publisher=Russian Legal Information Agency|url=http://www.rapsinews.ru/arbitration/20160823/276710247.html|script-title=ru:Суд приостановил дело по иску страховщиков из-за крушения самолета главы Total|date=23 August 2016|language=ru}}
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.{{cite web|url=http://www.rapsinews.ru/moscourts_news/20170707/279258538.html|publisher=Russian Legal Information Agency|script-title=ru:Суд амнистировал двух фигурантов дела о крушении Falcon главы Total|date=7 July 2017|language=ru}} Charges against Krivsun were dismissed in early 2016 due to "absence of criminal actions".{{cite web|url=http://rapsinews.ru/incident_news/20160114/275197934.html|publisher=Russian Legal Information Agency|script-title=ru:Адвокат: СК снял обвинения с одной из фигуранток дела о гибели главы Total|date=14 January 2016|language=ru}} 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.{{cite web|url=http://www.rapsinews.ru/moscourts_news/20170724/279481268.html|publisher=Russian Legal Information Agency|script-title=ru:Потерпевший обжаловал приговор по делу о крушении самолета Falcon|date=24 July 2017|language=ru}} Vervelle's civil suit against the airport was not accepted by the court earlier.{{cite web|url=http://www.rapsinews.ru/moscourts_news/20170707/279255486.html|script-title=ru:Суд не принял иск мужа стюардессы на 30 млн руб к "Внуково" за крушение Falcon|publisher=Russian Legal Information Agency|date=7 July 2017|language=ru}}
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 air traffic control entity), for 6,700,000 euros in damages.{{cite web|publisher=Russian Legal Information Agency|url=http://www.rapsinews.ru/arbitration/20180109/281572016.html|script-title=ru:Суд принял к производству иск фирмы-эксплуатанта самолета главы Total к "Внуково"|date=9 January 2018|language=ru}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- Interstate Aviation Committee [https://mak-iac.org/en/rassledovaniya/falcon-50ex-f-glsa-20-10-2014/ Report page] - [https://mak-iac.org/rassledovaniya/falcon-50ex-f-glsa-20-10-2014/ in Russian]
- [https://mak-iac.org/upload/iblock/e12/Final_Report_eng_F-GLSA.pdf Interstate Aviation Committee Final Report] - [https://mak-iac.org/upload/iblock/194/Final_Report_rus_F-GLSA.pdf Russian]
- {{ASN accident|20141020-0}}
{{Aviation accidents and incidents in Russia in the 2010s}}
{{Aviation accidents and incidents in 2014}}
{{Dassault Falcon family}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vnukovo Airport Falcon 50 crash, 2014}}
Category:Aviation accidents and incidents in Russia in 2014
Category:2014 disasters in Russia
Category:Accidents and incidents involving the Dassault Falcon 50
Category:Vnukovo International Airport
Category:Transport disasters in Moscow
Category:October 2014 in Russia
Category:Airliner accidents and incidents involving ground collisions