A glimpse of the US-made Bell 212 helicopter on which the President of Iran rides

The Bell 212 helicopter, used by the Iranian government, was produced by a US company and was widely used during the Vietnam War.

AP/IRNA/ALI HAMED HAGHDOUST

The helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi took off from the border area between Iran and Azerbaijan after President Raisi, together with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, inaugurated the Qiz Qalasi Dam located on the border of both countries.

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, and several other Iranian officials, Monday (20/5/2024), were declared dead in helicopter crash in a mountainous region amid snowstorm weather in East Azerbaijan Province, northeastern Iran. Raisi's death was confirmed by Iranian Vice President Mohsen Mansouri via social media and state television.

The Iranian news agency, IRNA, reported that Raisi (63) flew in a United States-made Bell 212 helicopter. When the helicopter he was traveling in crashed, Sunday (19/5/2024), he was on his way to Tabriz City after inaugurating the Qiz Qalasi Dam in the border area with Azerbaijan.

Also read: Iranian President and Foreign Minister Confirmed Killed in Helicopter Crash

In addition to Raisi's helicopter, there were two other helicopters in the presidential entourage. Not only carrying Raisi and Amir-Abdollahian (60), the ill-fated helicopter was also carrying East Azerbaijan Governor Malek Rahmati, President's Guard Chief Mehdi Mousavi, and Supreme Leader Iran's envoy, Mohammad Ali Al-e-Hashem.

The Bell 212 helicopter crashed while flying over mountains in thick fog on Sunday (May 19, 2024). This helicopter is a civilian version of the UH-1N "Twin Huey" military helicopter that first flew in April 1969 during the Vietnam War. The civilian version of the helicopter is widely used by governments and private operators around the world.

AFP PHOTO / HO / IRINN

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi is in a helicopter in the Jolfa region, East Azerbaijan Province, Sunday (19/5/2024).

AFP/IRINN

Photos from this video capture were released by Iranian TV station IRINN Iranian on May 19, 2024.

Bell Helicopter (now Bell Textron, a division of Textron Inc) developed an aircraft for the Canadian military in the late 1960s as an upgrade from the original UH-1 Iroquois. This new design used two turboshaft engines instead of one, thus providing greater support power.

According to a United States military training document, this helicopter was introduced in 1971 and adopted by the US and Canada. As a utility helicopter, the Bell 212 was meant to be adaptable to all kinds of situations, including transporting people.

This helicopter can also be used to deploy aerial firefighting equipment, transport cargo, and install weapons. The helicopter model used by Iran is configured to carry government passengers.

Also read: No Signs of Life at the Site of the Iranian President's Helicopter Crash

Bell Helicopter advertised their latest version, the Subaru Bell 412. This new type is promoted as being suitable for use by the police, medical transportation, troop transportation, energy industries, and firefighting.

AFP PHOTO/IRANIAN RED CRESCENT

A photo from a video released by the Iranian Red Crescent organization on Monday (20/5/2024) shows the location of the helicopter crash that carried Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi in East Azerbaijan Province, Iran.

According to the certification document for the type of helicopter owned by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, the helicopter is capable of carrying 15 people, including the crew.

Non-military organizations that also operate Bell 212 include the Japanese Coast Guard, law enforcement and fire departments in the United States, the Thai police, and others.

The number of Bell 212 helicopters used by the Iranian government is unknown. However, according to the FlightGlobal 2024 World Air Force Directory, it is clear that the Iranian Air Force and Navy use 10 Bell 212 helicopters.

Also read: Trying out the Latest Generation of Bell 412 above Jakarta

The previous fatal Bell 212 accident occurred in September 2023. At that time, according to the non-profit organization Aviation Safety Foundation, a private plane crashed off the coast of the United Arab Emirates. The previous accident in Iran occurred in 2018, which killed four people. (REUTERS)