On 19 May, the Bell 412 helicopter carrying Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi and other Iranian officials crashed near the Iran-Azerbaijan border. The officials were returning after the opening of a new dam on the border. Initial efforts to find the crash site were hampered by poor weather, including heavy fog.
Turkish Bayraktar Akıncı sent to find crash site
Late in the day on 19 May, a Turkish Bayraktar Akıncı uncrewed aerial vehicle (UCAV) was sent from Iran to the area where the helicopter was believed to have crashed. Arriving on station at approximately 21:45 UTC the aircraft began a search pattern above the mountainous terrain. The Akıncı departed the area at 03:00 UTC after locating the crash site.
The Akıncı returns to Turkey
After completing its mission in Iran, the Akıncı returned home where it drew a star and crescent above Lake Van in eastern Türkiye.
In total, 2.8 million people follow a portion of the flight on Flightradar24. As the search commenced, 208,000 people were following the Akıncı.
