Russian investigators have said "criminal negligence" caused the crash at a Moscow airport that resulted in the death of Total's chief executive, BBC News reports.

Christophe de Margerie died along with three crew members when his corporate jet collided with a snow plough.

Federal investigators said the driver of the snow plough was drunk, and managers at the airport "negligent".

De Margerie, who had headed French firm Total since 2007, was once of the oil industries most recognizable leaders.

The Investigations Committee of Russia, a federal agency which answers to President Vladimir Putin, is investigating the crash.

"It is already obvious that the cause of the events was not at all a horrific tragic confluence of circumstances, which is how representatives of the airport are trying to present it, but criminal negligence by officials who could not ensure the coordinated actions of airport employees," said committee spokesman Vladimir Markin.

Several officials at the airport were likely to be suspended, according to Markin, and the role of air traffic controllers is also being assessed.

The crash occurred at close to midnight local time on Monday, Oct 20, at Moscow's Vnukovo International Airport - located south-west of the Russian capital, and used by President Putin, government officials and visiting dignitaries. De Margerie's jet had been due to fly to Paris after a meeting with Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev at his country residence outside Moscow to discuss foreign investment in Russia, according to Russia's Vedomosti newspaper.

Russia's transport regulator is also investigating the crash, which it said happened in "bad visibility" at close to midnight local time on Monday. It had been snowing earlier in the day, but it was unclear how much snow was present at the time of the crash.

Pictures from the scene show the driver of the snow plough looking shocked, but walking unaided and without any obvious serious injury.

Total is one of the biggest foreign investors in Russia and is planning to double its output from the country by 2020. The oil giant is France's second biggest listed company.

It is not clear who will take over as Total's boss, but the company has announced that a board meeting will be held as soon as possible.