Falcon had permission to take off; runway was clear
MOSCOW. Oct 23 (Interfax) - The runway was clear when the air traffic controller gave permission for the takeoff of the Falcon plane which crashed at Vnukovo Airport, says Alexey Morozov, the head of the air accidents investigation commission of the Interstate Aviation Committee (IAC).
"When the air traffic controller gave permission for the aircraft to take off, the runway was clear. The crew confirmed the permission for takeoff," Morozov told a press conference on Thursday.
Approximately ten seconds after the crew confirmed the takeoff permission, "a snowplow was seen moving on the left side of the snowplow lane towards the intersection," he said.
The air traffic controller did not receive any request for the snowplow to cross the runway, he stressed.