Unijet Flight 074P
| Industry | Business aviation |
|---|---|
| Products | Business aircraft operations |
On 20 October 2014, Unijet Flight 074, a Dassault Falcon 50 business aircraft departing from Vnukovo International Airport in Moscow, Russia, was involved in a fatal collision with a snow plow that had entered the runway, resulting in the deaths of all four individuals on board. Among those killed was Total's Chairman and CEO, Christophe de Margerie, who was traveling to Paris, France.
The snow plow operator sustained injuries in the incident, tested positive for alcohol consumption, and later admitted guilt for causing the death of de Margerie.
Accident
The crash took place at 23:57 Moscow Time (MSK) under nighttime conditions. While accelerating for takeoff, Flight 074P’s Falcon 50 collided with a snow removal vehicle positioned on the runway, impacting its right wing and landing gear. The aircraft then flipped upside down and crashed onto the grass adjacent to the runway. Airport fire services quickly extinguished a post-crash fire. All four occupants—two pilots, a flight attendant, and de Margerie as the sole passenger—lost their lives.
Aircraft
The Dassault Falcon 50EX bearing tail number F-GLSA and serial number 348 first entered service in 2006, making it less than eight years old at the time of the accident. It was owned by Sanofi-Aventis Groupe SA and operated by Unijet, a company specializing in business aviation.
Investigation and trial
Charges were brought against five individuals: Vladimir Ledenev, lead engineer for airport aerodrome services; Vladimir Martynenko, the snowplow driver; Aleksandr Kruglov, an air traffic controller; trainee controller Svetlana Krivsun; and Roman Dunayev, Vnukovo’s flight director. Martynenko, Ledenev, and Krivsun were accused under article 263.3 of the Russian Criminal Code for breaching transportation safety regulations resulting in death due to negligence. By May 2016, investigations extended to three additional suspects: Sergei Kosik (shift director at Vnukovo), Vladimir Uzhakov (director of Moscow Air Traffic Control Center branch), and deputy Aleksandr Povaliy. The final indictment was issued on 18 January 2016.
In March 2016, five insurers—including Berkshire Hathaway International Insurance and Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Group—initiated a €10 million lawsuit against the airport seeking reimbursement of crash-related payments. The lawsuit was suspended in August 2016 pending outcomes of ongoing criminal cases.
On 7 July 2017, Martynenko and Ledenev received prison sentences of four and three-and-a-half years respectively after entering guilty pleas but were immediately granted amnesty. Separate proceedings were initiated for Dunayev, Kruglov, and air traffic controller Nadezhda Arkhipova. Charges against Krivsun were dropped in early 2016 due to insufficient evidence of criminal conduct. On 24 July 2017, an appeal was accepted from Patrick Vervelle—whose wife perished in the accident—who is legally recognized as a victim under Russian legislation. His prior civil claim against the airport had been dismissed.
In January 2018, the Moscow Arbitration Court accepted Unijet’s claim for €6.7 million against Vnukovo International Airport and FGUP "Goskorporatsiya po OrVD" (the air traffic control organization) seeking compensation for damages associated with the crash.