On May 19/20, 2024 a helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebriham Raisi and Iranian Foreign Minister Abdollahian crashed in a mountainous area of Iran, in bad weather. They are presumed dead according to Iranian Red Crescent https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_Varzaqan_helicopter_crash. A major concern is that Israel might eventually be blamed for killing Raisi by sabotaging the helicopter. It may heighten Iran’s conflict with Israel.
Old helicopters are more prone to major, even fatal, defects. It may be significant that the original US production run Bell 212 that Raisi was travelling in was last delivered to any customer in 1998 - so Raisi's helicopter may have been 26 years old. Also if the US cut off helicopter exports to Iran before the Iranian Revolution in 1979 this might suggest Raisi's helicopter was at least 45 years old.
Flight Global states that Iran operates four Italian made Augusta-Bell 212 for VIP transport. All aged over 30 years.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.flightglobal.com/safety/iran-searches-for-missing-presidential-helicopter/158351.article
The image of Reuters shows the Bell 212 lifting off, with a MIL-8/17 type still on the ground in front of it (probably one of two escorts). Considering the altitude, visibility and age of the aircraft, reckon it was really stupid to take get in and take off.
https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/what-we-know-about-crashed-helicopter-carrying-irans-president-2024-05-20/
Thanks Shawn at 5/20/2024 11:19 PM for your comments and links.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/what-we-know-about-crashed-helicopter-carrying-irans-president-2024-05-20/ describes the oldest age possibilities of Raifi's Bell 212 helicopter at "Experts said the few details available suggested it may be 40 to 50 years old."
So I've added an extra paragraph to the text above.
"An Aging Helicopter?
It may be significant that the [US] Bell 212 that Raisi was travelling in was last delivered to any customer in 1998 - so Raisi was travelling in a helicopter at least 26 years old. Also if the US cut off helicopter exports to Iran before the Iranian Revolution in 1979 this might suggest Raisi's helicopter was at least 45 years old. Old helicopters are more prone to major, even fatal, defects."
Regards Pete