Iran's presidential helicopter was 40 years old

The helicopter on which Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi flew was forty years old – it was purchased during the time of the Shah.

A “technical malfunction” caused a helicopter crash in Iran. On board, as the state news agency IRNA reported late Monday, were the president, the foreign minister and other officials – no one survived. Experts note that the crashed American Bell 212 helicopter was 40 years old. writes euronews.

The Bell 212 is a converted non-combat version of the UH-1N Twin Huey, which is still in widespread use. When properly operated, this machine has repeatedly demonstrated its durability, but in this case it cannot be ruled out that the Tehran regime was under Western sanctions for decades and proper maintenance of the helicopter was difficult to guarantee.

Experts note that the Bell 212 was designed for visual flight, meaning the pilot must rely solely on his ability to observe the terrain from the cockpit. It is likely that heavy fog and an approaching thunderstorm on Sunday became a nuisance and may have contributed to the helicopter crash. The disaster occurred in the north-west of Iran, 20 kilometers from the border with Azerbaijan.

Iranian officials said two other helicopters from the presidential convoy landed safely. Due to a lack of information, it remains unclear whether or how badly they suffered from the harsh flight conditions.

The Bell 212 helicopter, which was operated by the Islamic Red Crescent Society, according to media reports, was purchased before the Islamic Revolution of 1979. Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi was known for his love of flying. A former qualified pilot, he often wore the uniform of marshal of the Imperial Iranian Air Force (IAF), created by his father in 1920, and invested more in it than in any other branch of the military, experts say.

To create a first-class air force fleet, Tehran at that time purchased a whole series of machines. Iran has become the only country other than the United States to operate the F-14 Tomcat. There were also AH-1 Super Cobra and Chinook helicopters there. But as a result of the US arms embargo on the Iranian government and the rebranding of the Islamic Republic Air Force, the Western-made aircraft fleet soon fell into disrepair.

Tehran, however, continued to operate a limited number of helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft, dismantling other aircraft in its fleet for their needs and resorting to reengineering the necessary parts. This practice was complemented by the purchase of weapons and equipment from the Soviet Union and China. The problems with the aging fleet were fully evident during the Iran-Iraq War of 1980-1988, when Tehran suffered significant losses in equipment and manpower.

Some of the cars purchased by the Shah have survived to this day. In 2024, Flight Global estimates there are at least two Bell 212s still in service in the country.

Farewell to Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi:

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