TWO soldiers were caught romping in the cockpit of an Apache attack chopper.
The pair, believed to be drunk, were discovered half-naked by shocked comrades.
They were squeezed into the rear of a two-seater AH-64 gunship, armed with devastating 30mm cannon and pods for Hellfire missiles.
Ground crew had approached to fit rain covers after a night-time servicing.
A source said they then heard unusual noises while the rotors were swaying up and down.
An air safety report revealed: “It became apparent that the rear cockpit was occupied by two people engaged in sexual intercourse.
Both were naked from the waist down — the male in uniform, the female in civilian attire.
They were ordered to exit the cockpit and get dressed.
“Both parties were serving soldiers. Both showed symptoms of intoxication.”
The chopper belonged to the Army Air Corps’ 653 Squadron but the soldiers were from a separate unit, thought to be Royal Artillery.
The report to the Military Aviation Authority added: “They were detained until the chain of command of 653 Squadron and their parent unit arrived.”
An Army source said the incident took place at the Otterburn range in Northumberland in 2016.
However, it has just become public due to a computer glitch.
Air crew were ordered to secure choppers in future, the source added.
A stroke of genius
By Alex Goss
I HAVE taken a ride in the world’s most-feared attack helicopter.
And I’ve no idea how you could join the mile-high club, even on the runway.
The cockpit is cocooned by dials and switches.
If you tried it on in the rear pilot’s seat you’d end up with your coccyx on the cyclic.
But that’s better than having a fumble in the gunner’s chair below.
There you’d run a very real risk of setting off your 30mm cannon early.