Ebrahim Raisi: Details, Features Of US-Made Helicopter That Crashed Killing Iran President

• On Sunday, May 19, the helicopter carrying Iran's president, Ebrahim Raisi, suffered a “hard landing” near Jolfa in Iran’s East Azerbaijan province
• The helicopter that Raisi and his team were using during the time of the accident was a Bell 212, which is manufactured in the United States of America
• According to the manufacturer, Bell 212 helicopters are used in high altitude, mountainous terrain for firefighting and other remote utility work.

Amos Khaemba, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, brings over three years of experience covering politics and current affairs in Kenya.

Iran - Details have emerged about the helicopter that crashed, killing President Ebrahim Raisi and other senior government officials.

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.

What you need to know about Ebrahim Raisi's chopper crash

• President Ebrahim Raisi and other officials were returning from a ceremony for the opening of a dam at the country's border when their chopper crashed.
• Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi said the rescue operation took too long due to fog and bad weather conditions.
• A video has surfaced showing Raisi engaged in conversation with another senior official aboard the plane before its tragic descent
• According to Article 131 of the Islamic Republic's constitution, a council comprising the first vice president, the speaker of parliament, and the head of the judiciary must organise a presidential election within a maximum of 50 days.

Proofreading by Otukho Jackson, a multimedia journalist and copy editor at TUKO.co.ke

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Collage of a Bell 212 chopper (l) and President Ebrahim Raisi.

Ebrahim Raisi: Details, Features of US-Made Helicopter that Crashed

Cause of helicopter crash that killed Iran's Ebrahim Raisi still