Nat Guard helos were doing low flies during the raid. They were indeed forced to land though I don't know if that was from actual damage or general risk of being caught in the crossfire during the botched initial raid. The helicopters were most certainly not shot down. Damaged maybe, but not shot down. I have read the OIG report on the raid and the ATF was found liable to pay for the costs to operate/maintenance the helos used during the raid, so maybe they came up with this story after that to claim they shouldn't have to pay for maintenance costs because it was the cultists who shot the choppers that caused them to need any maintenance (an obvious bullshit lie as military aircraft are maintenance hogs).

Major update. I just read the Government Accountability Office report from 1999. They said the helicopters were damaged by pilot error, not Davidson gunfire https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.gao.gov/assets/nsiad/osi-99-133.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwiOiLqk3O7vAhWKZM0KHZE_DD4QFjAAegQIAxAC&usg=AOvVaw35Yw8ELe6Cb0IhXdVht5Zc

Nat Guard helos were doing low flies during the raid. They were indeed forced to land though I don't know if that was from actual damage or general risk of being caught in the crossfire during the botched initial raid. The helicopters were most certainly not shot down. Damaged maybe, but not shot down. I have read the OIG report on the raid and the ATF was found liable to pay for the costs to operate/maintenance the helos used during the raid, so maybe they came up with this story after that to claim they shouldn't have to pay for maintenance costs because it was the cultists who shot the choppers that caused them to need any maintenance (an obvious bullshit lie as military aircraft are maintenance hogs).