The world is reeling from the untimely demise of Iran’s President Ibrahim Raisi. At 63, Raisi was second in the hierarchy of the Iranian government. His death occurred when his helicopter crashed near Jolfa by the border of the Azerbaijan Province, approximately 600 kilometers northwest of Tehran.
The crash was attributed to adverse weather conditions. Apart from President Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian, Governor of the East Azerbaijan Province Malek Rahmati, and religious leader Mohammad Ali Ale-Hashem were also killed. Iran is engulfed in deep sorrow following this news.
This is not the first instance when an air crash has claimed the lives of prominent figures. Time and again the world has been shocked by news of celebrities and dignitaries meeting their fate in such tragic circumstances. From India’s first Chief of Defence Staff, Bipin Rawat, to South African cricket star Hansie Cronje, and former Chilean President Pinera, there have been numerous occasions when unfortunate accidents have abruptly ended lives.
The list of those betrayed by fate in such incidents is a painful narrative.
The General’s Last Ride
When it comes to helicopter accidents, the name of General Bipin Rawat, India’s first Chief of Defence Staff, invariably comes to mind. The fateful afternoon of December 8, 2021, when a helicopter crash in Tamil Nadu’s Nilgiris district was first reported on television screens, little attention was initially paid. However, within minutes, this news became a major headline. It was learned that this helicopter, the Indian Air Force’s Mi-17V5, had taken off from the Sulur military base and was en route to the Wellington military station when it crashed due to poor weather in the Nilgiri’s forests. The government soon confirmed that General Rawat had perished in the crash. Tragically, his wife, Madhulika Rawat, also died in the accident, which carried a total of 14 passengers to their untimely deaths.
Sanjay Gandhi’s Fatal Acrobatic Flight
Among the air mishaps in India, one accident left the Gandhi family with a wound that would last a lifetime. It is the case of Sanjay Gandhi’s tragic death near Delhi. On June 23, 1980, the country plunged into mourning when Sanjay Gandhi, piloting a two-seater plane, the Pitts S2A, crashed. The accident occurred close to Safdarjung Airport in Delhi, where Sanjay Gandhi was performing aerial acrobatics. Suddenly, he lost control and the plane plummeted to the ground engulfed in flames. At the time of his death, Sanjay was only 33 years old.
Zia-ul-Haq’s Mysterious Crash
Pakistani military dictator General Zia-ul-Haq’s name is also etched in the annals of aviation tragedies. Having seized political power from Zulfikar Ali Bhutto through a coup, General Zia-ul-Haq was a controversial figure throughout his life, and even in death, mystery and scandal followed. On August 17, 1988, Zia-ul-Haq had gone to Bahawalpur to observe a demonstration of American tanks. The weather was clear.
After wrapping up his events in Bahawalpur, General Zia-ul-Haq boarded his flight to Islamabad. He was on a C-130B Hercules aircraft. The takeoff at 3:46 pm went smoothly. But within seconds, the aircraft lost contact with the control tower. Witnesses report the plane performing unusual maneuvers in the sky. Barely five minutes into the flight, the plane crashed near Bahawalpur, resulting in a massive explosion and killing all 31 people onboard, including General Zia-ul-Haq.
The Captain’s Sudden Departure
Former South African cricket captain Hansie Cronje’s death is a somber tale of a talented player. Known as one of South Africa’s most successful leaders, Cronje’s reputation plummeted after his name surfaced in match-fixing scandals. Two years before his unfortunate death in 2000, Cronje confessed to match-fixing, which led to a lifetime ban. On June 1, 2002, Cronje’s scheduled flight from Johannesburg to George was delayed. He then embarked on a solo trip on a Hawker Siddeley HS 748 turboprop aircraft. While maneuvering through clouds near George Airport, the pilot lost control. An attempt to land was unsuccessful.
In the midst of circling, the aircraft crashed into the Outeniqua Mountains near Cradock Peak, instantly killing the 32-year-old Cronje and both pilots.
A President’s Death in His Own Hands
Helicopter accidents have claimed the lives of heads of state, including the former president of Chile. Miguel Juan Sebastián Piñera Echenique was a businessman and politician who served as President of Chile from 2010 to 2014 and then from 2018 to 2022.
On February 6, 2024, at quarter to three in the afternoon, Chile's Piñera was piloting his helicopter when he encountered a heavy rainstorm. Crashing into a lake during the storm, it’s reported that although he survived the crash, he was knocked unconscious and unable to release his safety belt, leading to his drowning.
Kenyan Army Chief’s Fatal Helicopter Crash
Another prominent military figure met his end in a helicopter crash this year, Kenya's Army Chief, General Francis Omondi Ogolla. On April 8, 2024, General Ogolla and nine other military officers died in a helicopter crash shortly after taking off from Chesegeon. Ogolla's helicopter was a Bell, an American-made model developed in the 1950s and used during the Vietnam War. It is worth noting that Iran's President Raisi also perished in a Bell helicopter, albeit a different model.
Additionally, several well-known Indian personalities have lost their lives in helicopter mishaps. These include former Chief Ministers of Andhra Pradesh, YSR Reddy and Arunachal Pradesh's Dorjee Khandu, Congressman Madhav Rao Scindia, former Speaker of the Lok Sabha GMC Balayogi, and industrialist OP Jindal.
