The initial report on the helicopter crash that resulted in the deaths of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and his entourage, has been released by the General Staff of Iran’s Armed Forces. The report, quoted by the semi-official Tasnim news agency, states that a senior investigation committee consisting of experts, specialists, and technicians arrived at the crash site on Monday morning.
According to the report, the helicopter had followed its designated flight path without any deviations. The pilot had communicated with the other two helicopters in the president’s convoy approximately one minute and a half before the incident.
The report also mentioned that no evidence of bullets or similar objects was found on the wreckage of the helicopter. Additionally, it stated that the helicopter caught fire after colliding with the mountain.
“Complications of the region, fog and low temperature” had caused the search and rescue operations to continue until nightfall and then throughout the night, the report said, adding, “At 5:00 a.m. local time on Monday (0130 GMT), with the assistance of drones, the exact location of the incident was identified.”
No suspicious issue had been detected in the conversations between the watchtower and the flight crew, it added.
More details would be provided after further investigations, it said.