Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, and Ayatollah Mohammad Ali Ale-Hashem, the representative of the Iranian supreme leader to the province, among others, were pronounced dead after the helicopter crashed on Sunday, May 19.
Initial reports indicated that the helicopter suffered a “hard landing” near Jolfa in Iran’s East Azerbaijan province on Sunday, May 19, amid poor weather conditions in the region.
What type of chopper was Ebrahim Raisi using?
Reuters has reported that Raisi and his team travelled in a Bell 212 helicopter, the civilian version of the ubiquitous Vietnam War-era UH-1N “Twin Huey,”. The helicopters are widely used globally by both governments and private operators.
Bell Helicopter Inc. manufactures the chopper, which was first developed for the Canadian military in the late 1960s to upgrade the original UH-1 Iroquois. The new design uses two turboshaft engines instead of one, giving it greater carrying capacity. According to US military training documents, the helicopter was introduced in 1971 and quickly adopted by both the United States and Canada.
What are the features of the Bell 212?
As a versatile helicopter, the Bell 212 is designed to adapt to various situations, such as transporting passengers, deploying firefighting equipment, carrying cargo, and mounting weapons. The Iranian model that crashed on Sunday, May 19, was configured to carry government passengers.
According to its type certification documents with the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, it can carry 15 people, including the crew. Today, 212 helicopters are used in high altitude, mountainous terrain for firefighting and other remote utility work.
Type: Bell 212
- Engines: 2 × Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6T-3 Twin-Pac
- Capacity: Up to 14 passengers (1 pilot and 13 passengers)
- Max Takeoff Weight: 5,080 kg (11,200 lb)
- Powerplant: 1,800 shp (1,300 kW) (TwinPac)
- Maximum Speed: 140 mph (220 km/h)
- Cruise Speed: 120 mph (190 km/h)
- Range: 273 mi (439 km)
- Service Ceiling: 17,400 ft (5,300 m)
Have there been incidents involving the Bell 212?
Few accidents involving the Bell 212 helicopter have been documented recently. The most recent fatal crash involving a Bell 212 was in September 2023, when a privately operated aircraft crashed off the coast of the United Arab Emirates. In 2018, a similar crash occurred in Iran, killing four people.
Nigeria’s President Tinubu condoles with Iran Meanwhile
Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu has extended heartfelt condolences to the government and people of Iran following the tragic passing of President Raisi. In a statement issued by the State House, President Tinubu expressed his profound grief and described the tragedy as deeply disturbing.
