CHOPPER FLEW TAIL FIRST INTO A HILLSIDE?

 

The chopper that crashed in Iran was a Bell 212 'Utility' (above). A classic, twin rotor Vietnam War era chopper  - at least 50 years old. The combat versions were called "Hueys" (UH1).

 

Here is a screen grab (from a lap top) which shows the location of the chopper (red arrow) on that hillside in east Azerbaijan. You can see the general terrain.

But I dont see the Himalayas or snowcaps in this picture. These are not very tall mountains. It looks like a forested hillside. 

If the chopper had "flown" horizontally into that arrowed spot on this hillside (which is not impossible because it was foggy - but what happened to the altimeter?) then the elevation of that spot would also be the altitude at which the chopper was flying.  As I said these dont look like the Himalayas. Meaning was the chopper flying that low?

 

 

Below here are two closeup views of the crashed chopper on that hillside. As you can see these are screenshots from someone's laptop and there are plenty reflections.

 

 

This view is interesting. You can see clearly that the tail of the chopper is quite intact. However the tail is pointing uphill or upslope. You can clearly see that the completely destroyed cockpit / cabin of the chopper is facing downhill, below the tail. 

If the chopper had flown into the hillside, logically the cockpit would be above, pointing uphill and the tail would be below, pointing downhill.  How did the chopper fly tail first into the hillside?

Obviously the chopper did not 'roll' or 'slide' down the slope because that tail is still intact. If the chopper had rolled or slid downslope (after flying into the hillside) then that tail will not be so intact. That tail would also disintegrate.

But that tail is intact and the tail is pointing uphill. It appears like the chopper fell down vertically, nose first, right out of the sky. (If you recall those two choppers that crashed in Lumut recently - see below - they always come down nose first). 

 

And this chopper stayed exactly where it hit, at that spot on the hillside. It did not slide or roll down the hill. That is why that tail is still intact. The chopper did not fly into the hillside.

And there are no burn marks or charring on the tail. The cockpit burned (completely burned according to news reports) after the chopper had hit the ground. Only the cockpit / cabin is fully destroyed and burnt.

Maybe the chopper was brought down by a kinetic projectile with no explosive warhead.

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.