Source: China News Network
According to Reuters, Iranian President Raisi and Iranian Foreign Minister Abdollahian were tragically killed in a helicopter accident on May 19. So, what is the model of the aircraft involved, what is the technical performance, and what deep-seated problems does the accident reflect?
Bell 212's Past and Present
Based on a number of foreign media sources, it can be basically determined that the helicopter that Leay and his entourage are riding is a Bell 212 medium-sized helicopter manufactured by Bell Helicopter (Canadian factory) in the United States.
Earlier, the Bell 212 helicopter in which the Iranian president was in took off. Photo/BBC website
India's New Delhi TV website reported that the Bell 212 first flew in 1968 and was originally designed and developed by the Canadian military, and was a twin-engine modification of the famous UH-1 "Huey" helicopter during the Vietnam War.
Due to the use of two turboshaft engines, compared with the early UH-1 model, the bearing capacity, reliability and safety of the Bell 212 have been significantly improved, and it can carry more than 10 people, including the crew, with a maximum flight speed of 220 km/h and a maximum range of more than 400 km.
As a technically proven, rugged utility helicopter, the Bell 212 can be used in a wide range of applications, including personnel and cargo transportation, aerial search, fire and rescue, and can also be equipped with weapons for military operations.
Or an "old antique" that has been installed for more than 40 years
Up to now, more than 10 countries such as the United States, Canada, Japan, Thailand, Iran and other powerful departments are equipped with this type of helicopter.
CNN military analyst and retired U.S. Air Force Colonel Cedric Layton said Iran's Bell 212 helicopters may have been commercially introduced in 1976 during the late Pahlavi dynasty's rule. If this statement is true, it means that the aircraft has been in service for more than 40 years.
Bell 212 helicopters equipped with the Iranian Air Force. Photo/American Airlines website
Although the Bell 212 is safe, it has had a number of serious accidents. According to the website of India's "First Post", in 2009, a Bell 212 flying to an offshore oil platform made a forced landing in the icy sea near Newfoundland, Canada, due to the loss of engine oil pressure, and only one of the 18 people on board survived. In September 2023, a Bell 212, belonging to a private person, crashed off the coast of the United Arab Emirates. In Iran, there was also a Bell 212 air crash in 2018, resulting in the death of four people.
Indian media pointed out that although modern helicopters are advanced in function and will be strictly maintained and inspected before takeoff, they may cause serious accidents due to multiple factors such as mechanical failures, bad weather, and even sabotage actions from hostile forces.
U.S. sanctions have made it difficult for Iraqi aircraft to update
Although the truth of the crash has yet to be further clarified, and the United States has denied that Raisi was killed in a "murderous act", it cannot be ignored that since 1979, due to the long-term blockade and sanctions imposed by the West, Iran's aviation industry has indeed struggled and accidents have occurred frequently. CNN military analysts believe that the difficulty in obtaining spare parts may be one of the factors that led to the crash.
According to a report released by the Washington Institute, a US think tank, in 2019, according to the US sanctions standards, any aircraft containing more than 10% of American-made parts is strictly prohibited from being sold to Iran, and even the Russian-produced Sukhoi-100 regional airliner is also included in the ban list on Iran because the proportion of US-made parts on board reaches 13%.
Iranian civil airliner. Photo/American Airlines website
According to the Iranian Research Center, a Turkish think tank, it is difficult for Iran to obtain a stable and timely supply of aviation parts from formal channels, except for high-priced purchases from the international black market or third-party suppliers.
Due to the lack of replaceable spare parts and effective maintenance, it is estimated that 8% of Iran's civilian aircraft are grounded each year, while the country's average age of passenger aircraft is already 28 years.
The scene of the crash of the Iranian C-130 transport aircraft. Photo/CBS website
According to foreign media statistics, there have been at least 35 serious air crashes in Iran since 1980, and more than 2,100 people have been killed. Among them, more than half of the accidents involved Boeing, Airbus, Fokker, Dassault, ATR, Loma, Bell and other Western aircraft manufacturers.
(Source: Chinanews.com)