Iran's President Missing After Helicopter Crash

[Borderland]

ASN is reporting it was a Bell 212:

https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/388106

Based on the debris field and wreckage, I think it was highly unlikely a passenger and crew member was in communication from the ground as was attributed to the Iranian state.

https://aviation-safety.net/asndb/type/B212/5 Bell UH-1N is a 212.

USFS uses Bell 212 HP. They can probably get support from Bell.

B.O.B would be my guess but I'm not an explosives expert.

[mmc45414]

I guess if Kobe Bryant could die in a helicopter crash

Crappy weather would be a common denominator.

[okie john]

I've lost two buddies in rotary-wing crashes. One was in a civilian bird with a new-ish pilot. The other was in a Blackhawk flown by the 160th. It can happen to anyone.


Okie John

[GJM]

I’m skeptical about this being an Israeli operation. Assassinating Iran’s President in a helicopter crash made to look like an accident is some Jason Bourne spy movie stuff. This would probably be the greatest, most complicated, and most difficult targeted killing operation in intelligence history. Unless some actual evidence comes to light linking this to an Israeli action, I think either a mechanical failure or internal Iranian political machinations are much more likely causes.

Some people in that region of the world blame Israel for a cloudy day.

Crappy weather would be a common denominator.

May have been very similar, a helicopter flown into terrain (CFIT) in instrument conditions. I wonder how comfortable the 212 crew was flying on instruments? Also wonder what pressure they imposed on themselves, or had from their passengers, to complete the mission because of their VIP passengers?

As to two of the three getting through, if two of every three airliners crashed, we wouldn't think of that as very good odds.

[Stephanie B]

From a Layman's perspective those darn things are not very prone to survivable crashes

I think it is a good idea to stay off anything that has a part known as a “Jesus Nut”.

[Coyotesfan97]

Ive always liked flying on helicopters. I have more hours standing on the skid then sitting inside. In the back of my mind I was on a craft that had the flying characteristics of a safe if something went wrong with power.

[1Rangemaster]

“good riddance to bad rubbish!” All religions have had EVIL use them-Hitler had the blitzkreig tanks sprinkled with holy water for example- but the “religion of peace” seems to have had more than its fair share of monsters over the past few decades.

Anyway, I’m not a pilot, expert on government sponsored ninjas and didn’t even stay in a holiday inn last night, but whirlybirds do get whacky every now and then; couldn’t have happened to a better bunch of POS.

Back to your regular discussion of the perils of rotary wings…

[Caballoflaco]

As seen on another site today:”in a fitting turn of events Raisi was stoned to death with a mountain.”

[blues]

Ive always liked flying on helicopters. I have more hours standing on the skid then sitting inside. In the back of my mind I was on a craft that had the flying characteristics of a safe if something went wrong with power.

Me too. I loved flying on our Black Hawks. Whether along the coast, out in the Florida Straits, the Bahamas or Everglades...it was always a blast. We had some really great pilots...all of them from military backgrounds.

We had some smaller rotary craft for surveillance and calling the eye...but I was always down on the road chasing and getting vectored in...so didn't fly in those.

[GJM]

I think it is a good idea to stay off anything that has a part known as a “Jesus Nut”.

Ive always liked flying on helicopters. I have more hours standing on the skid then sitting inside. In the back of my mind I was on a craft that had the flying characteristics of a safe if something went wrong with power.

For some years, the Bell Jet Ranger had the best safety record of any single engine aircraft, fixed or rotor wing. It is interesting how the auto rotative characteristics of helicopters vary. The MD 500, for example, is like somebody kicked a rock off a ledge where the jet ranger feels like it is almost a powered approach by comparison.