No fatalities

British Army Lynx Shot Down by IRA in County Armagh

United Kingdom

On June 23, 1988, a 1988 British Army Lynx shootdown was involved in an aviation accident near United Kingdom. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The helicopter was shot down by Provisional Irish Republican Army gunfire using automatic rifles and heavy machine guns. This summary draws on records from Wikidata contributors; 1 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesWikidata contributorsPrimary reportUpdated 1780111919Data APIEditorial standards

On 23 June 1988, an Army Air Corps Westland Lynx helicopter (serial XZ664) was shot down by the Provisional Irish Republican Army near Aughanduff Mountain, County Armagh, resulting in a forced crash-landing.

Incident

On 23 June 1988, a British Army Air Corps Westland Lynx helicopter, serial number XZ664, was engaged by a unit of the Provisional Irish Republican Army's (IRA) South Armagh Brigade near Aughanduff Mountain, County Armagh, in Northern Ireland. The attackers used automatic rifles and heavy machine guns to fire upon the aircraft.

Forced Landing

The helicopter sustained disabling damage from the gunfire, forcing the crew to execute a crash-landing in an open field. The aircraft came to rest in the field, and the crew remained with the downed helicopter.

Recovery

British forces subsequently arrived at the scene and recovered both the crew and the damaged aircraft. No further details about the crew's condition or the extent of the helicopter's damage were provided in the official account.

Probable cause

The helicopter was shot down by Provisional Irish Republican Army gunfire using automatic rifles and heavy machine guns.