The semi-official Iranian news agency, Fars, reported on Wednesday, citing an informed source, that the helicopter crash which killed Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in May was due to weather conditions.
The agency also mentioned that the helicopter could not handle the weight onboard, according to the final results of the investigation.
The helicopter that crashed, carrying Raisi and others, was a “Bell 212” model.
An initial report issued by the Iranian army in May stated there was no indication of foul play or attack during the investigation into the circumstances of the crash.
The informed security source told Fars, which did not mention his name, “The investigation into Raisi’s helicopter crash is complete… It is certain that what happened was an accident.”
The agency pointed out that the source added that two reasons were identified for the incident: the weather conditions at the time were not suitable, and the helicopter’s inability to handle the weight, which led to its collision with a mountain.
The source also informed the agency that investigations indicated the helicopter was carrying two more people than recommended by security protocols.
Raisi was traveling to Tabriz city in East Azerbaijan Province in northwest Iran on Sunday, after inaugurating a dam on the border with Azerbaijan, when his helicopter crashed.
Reports from the crash site showed heavy fog in a mountainous area with rugged terrain, delaying rescue teams’ arrival at the crash site for hours.
The “Bell Helicopter” company, now known as “Bell Textron” of the United States, developed this aircraft for the Canadian military in the late 1960s as an upgrade to the original “UH-1 Iroquois” aircraft, according to Reuters.
The new design of this model at the time used twin engines instead of a single engine, giving it greater carrying capacity.
Bloomberg reported that the American “Bell 212” helicopter model, which first flew in 1968 and was deployed in 1971, ceased production in 1998.
According to its certification documents from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, this helicopter can accommodate 15 people, including the crew.
The last fatal accident of a “Bell 212” aircraft occurred in September 2023, when a privately owned aircraft crashed off the coast of the UAE, according to the “Flight Safety Foundation,” a non-profit organization focused on aviation safety.
According to Reuters, the design of the Iranian “Bell 212” model was intended to transport government officials.
