The helicopter crash that killed former Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in May was due to unfavorable weather conditions and the aircraft's inability to withstand the cargo it was carrying, Iran's semi-official Fars news agency reported today, citing sources familiar with the final findings. from the investigation of the incident, reported Reuters, quoted by BTA.
A preliminary report by the Iranian military in May found that no evidence of malice or a malicious attack had been found during the investigation into the crash.
"The investigation into the crash of Ayatollah Raisi's helicopter has been completed /.../ it is known for sure that what happened was an accident,", the unnamed source told Fars news agency.
Two reasons for the crash have been identified: the weather was not suitable for flight and the helicopter could not support its load, which led to the crash in a mountain range, added the source quoted by Fars.
The investigation found that the helicopter was carrying two more people than allowed by security protocols, the source said.
Raisi, who was a hardline Islamist and a potential successor to Iran's supreme spiritual leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, died in the crash in a mountain range near the border in Azerbaijan, Reuters recalled.