An British army helicopter was forced to make an emergency landing on a crowded beach in Co Antrim today after a suspected engine fire.
No-one was injured when the two-man crew landed the aircraft on Portrush beach where people had gathered for the Irish Surfing Championships.
Eye witnesses said they saw smoke billowing from the back of the helicopter as it circled above the sea before coming down at around 11am.
An army spokesman said the Lynx helicopter was on its way back to base at RAF Aldergrove when it was forced to make a controlled emergency landing.
The spokesman said a clean-up operation had already begun but was likely to take several hours to complete.
The helicopter was part of the 5th Regiment Army Air Corp and Joint Army Helicopter Force NI based at RAF Aldergrove in Co Antrim.
There are over 100 British Army Lynxes operating across the world. The craft is mainly used for transporting troops and equipment in Northern Ireland.
