Ep 10. Death of a President

Mayday - Air Disasters season 12 episode 10, titled "Death of a President," explores the tragic last flight of Ali Abdullah Saleh, the former president of Yemen. On December 4, 2017, Saleh boarded a helicopter after announcing his intention to switch sides in Yemen's ongoing civil war. However, the chopper crashed just a few minutes after takeoff, killing Saleh and several high-ranking officials.

The episode begins by outlining the political context of Saleh's final flight. The former president had ruled Yemen for over three decades, but in 2011 he was forced to step down following mass protests. Saleh had retained significant influence in Yemeni politics, however, and in 2014 he aligned himself with Houthi rebels who were fighting against the internationally recognized government. In the years that followed, Yemen descended into a devastating civil war that has claimed tens of thousands of lives.

Against this backdrop, Saleh announced on December 2, 2017 that he was breaking with the Houthis and opening talks with the Saudi-led coalition that supported the Yemeni government. Saleh's defection was seen as a turning point in the conflict, and many believed it could bring about a resolution to the war.

Two days later, Saleh boarded a Russian-made Mi-17 helicopter along with several close aides and bodyguards. The chopper was operated by the Yemeni Air Force and piloted by a Russian crew from private company Phoenix Aviation. It was supposed to fly from the capital Sana'a to the southern city of Marib, where Saleh was to meet with tribal leaders who supported his outreach to the government.

The flight took off at 3:39 PM local time and immediately encountered difficulties. The helicopter was flying in poor weather, with low clouds and mist that reduced visibility. The crew struggled to climb above the surrounding hills and had to make a sharp turn to avoid a military base. The helicopter began to lose altitude and crashed into a mountainside just three minutes after takeoff.

All eight people on board were killed instantly, including Saleh and several top officials of his General People's Congress party. The episode uses interviews with survivors and witnesses, as well as cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder data, to piece together what happened in those final minutes.

The investigation reveals that the helicopter's main rotor blades struck the mountainside at a speed of over 200 km/h, disintegrating on impact. The wreckage was strewn over a wide area, indicating a high-energy crash. The episode explains how the cockpit voice recorder recorded the pilot shouting "Allahu Akbar" before impact, suggesting an attempt to regain control of the aircraft.

The investigation reveals several contributing factors to the crash. The episode explores how the crew may have been under pressure to complete the mission quickly, given the political importance of Saleh's defection. The episode also examines the role of weather conditions, which hampered visibility and limited the helicopter's ability to climb.

Furthermore, the episode reveals how the Mi-17 model has been involved in several other high-profile crashes in recent years, including incidents in Afghanistan and Syria. The episode examines how these crashes have raised concerns about the safety of Russian-made helicopters and the effectiveness of their maintenance and training programs.

The episode concludes by reflecting on the tragic outcome of Saleh's last flight. The former president had hoped to play a decisive role in resolving the Yemeni conflict, but his sudden death threw the country further into chaos. The episode underscores the importance of proper aircraft maintenance and training, as well as the need for greater international cooperation to ensure the safety of air transportation in conflict zones.