Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi died in a helicopter crash near the Azerbaijan-Iranian border, officials announced Monday morning (May 20). The civilian version of the widely-used Vietnam War-era UH-1N “Twin Huey” helicopters, that he was travelling in, are used globally by both governments and private operators.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
Bell Helicopter (now Bell Textron, a division of Textron Inc) developed the aircraft in the late 1960s for the Canadian military as an enhanced version of the original UH-1 Iroquois. This new design incorporated two turboshaft engines instead of one, providing increased carrying capacity. The helicopter was introduced in 1971 and was quickly adopted by both the United States and Canada, according to US military training documents.
Designated as a utility helicopter (UH in its military designation), the Bell 212 is designed to be versatile for various roles, including transporting passengers, deploying aerial firefighting equipment, transporting cargo, and supporting weapon systems.
The Iranian model involved in Sunday’s crash was configured for transporting government officials. Bell Helicopter promotes its latest iteration, the Subaru Bell 412, for police operations, medical evacuation, troop transport, energy sector support, and firefighting. According to its certification documents from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, it can carry up to 15 people, including crew members.
Non-military organisations that operate the Bell 212 include Japan’s Coast Guard, various law enforcement agencies and fire departments in the United States, and Thailand’s national police, among others. While it is unclear how many Bell 212 helicopters Iran’s government operates, its air force and navy collectively have 10, according to FlightGlobal’s 2024 World Air Forces directory.
The most recent fatal crash involving a Bell 212 occurred in September 2023 when a privately operated aircraft crashed off the coast of the United Arab Emirates, according to the Flight Safety Foundation, a non-profit organisation dedicated to aviation safety. The most recent Iranian crash involving this type occurred in 2018, resulting in the deaths of four people, according to the organisation’s database.
(With inputs from agencies)