Helicopter crash

Type of rotorcraft

Politics & GovernmentDied on This DayDisasters & Accidents
Helicopter crash
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Overview

What happened

On May 19, 2024, a helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi crashed in Tehran, killing the president and several other high-ranking officials...

Date

May 19, 2024

Location

unknown

Key people

Ebrahim Raisi

Why it matters

This article provides a detailed analysis of the Iran helicopter crash that killed President Raisi, including the circumstances surrounding the accident, the response of the Iranian...

What was Helicopter crash?

A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forward, backward and laterally. These attributes allow helicopters to be used in congested or isolated areas where fixed-wing aircraft and many forms of short take-off and landing (STOL) or short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) aircraft cannot perform without a runway. The Focke-Wulf Fw 61 was the first successful, practical, and fully controllable helicopter in 1936, while in 1942, the Sikorsky R-4 became the first helicopter to reach full-scale production.

An HH-65 Dolphin holding a hover while conducting rescue hoist training
An HH-65 Dolphin holding a hover while conducting rescue hoist training
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Background and consequences

Starting in 1939 and through 1943, Igor Sikorsky worked on the development of the VS-300, which over four iterations, became the basis for modern helicopters with a single main rotor and a single tail rotor. Although most earlier designs used more than one main rotor, the configuration of a single main rotor accompanied by a vertical anti-torque tail rotor (i.e. unicopter, not to be confused with the single-blade monocopter) has become the most common helicopter configuration.

The Mil-24 'Hind' is a well-known military attack helicopter
The Mil-24 'Hind' is a well-known military attack helicopter
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Related on thisDay

Iran Helicopter Crash Kills President Raisi — May 19, 2024

7 killed as President Raisi's helicopter crashes in Tehran in 2024, sparking national turmoil and raising questions about the future of Iran's government.

Use the dated article for the day-specific account; use these references to check the event record and explore its wider historical context.

Date article: Iran Helicopter Crash Kills President Raisi — May 19, 2024Wikipedia source
Cite this page
MLA

“Helicopter crash.” thisDay, thisday.info/history/helicopter-crash/. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

APA

Helicopter crash. (n.d.). thisDay. Retrieved October 19, 2026, from https://thisday.info/history/helicopter-crash/

Chicago

“Helicopter crash.” thisDay. Accessed October 19, 2026. https://thisday.info/history/helicopter-crash/.

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