Close Encounter With Special Forces Helicopter

06.08.2018

A video of a British Special Forces helicopter flying low in fog close to a road in Cumbria has emerged. The footage, taken via a dashcam inside a car travelling along Kirkstone Pass in the Lake District on the 2nd of August, shows the AS365N3 Dauphin 2 helicopter emerging from heavy fog at very low level.

Based on the aircraft type and paint scheme, it has been identified as belonging to 658 Squadron Army Air Corps (658 Sqn AAC), a specialist unit that supports the 22nd Special Air Service (22 SAS).

A cropped still taken from the video shows the helicopter, almost certainly a 658 Sqn Dauphin 2, flying low (possibly preparing to land) alongside Kirkstone pass..

Image by Brian Weatherall

A Dauphin 2 helicopter operated by 658 Squadron. The Dauphin 2 is used to insert and extract 22 SAS personnel around the United Kingdom, including on counter terrorism missions.

By Flickr user Mark Harkin | used under Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0) license

BBC tweet of video footage:

A close encounter on Kirkstone Pass... pic.twitter.com/Pob4bpkhBH

— BBC North East and Cumbria (@BBCNEandCumbria) August 3, 2018

Assuming the identification of the helicopter is correct, questions remain about why a military aircraft was operating in such poor conditions and so close to a public road.

More info / further reading:

• 1. Helicopter filmed emerging from fog just metres from cars
  (BBC News)
  
  
• 2. 658 Squadron Army Air Corps
  (Elite UK Forces)
  
  

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