Looks like a non story to me.
The aircraft lurches... it returns to base. That could be anything from a minor control problem, to a single engine failure.
"Shots fired"... Now tell me a day in Basra where that doesn't happen. I tell you this though, it wouldn't cause an aircraft to "lurch". I got hit by small arms fire dozens of times in 1991. It certainly didn't cause the old girl to lurch! In fact I usually didn't find out until I climbed out back at base. Now I'm not a rotary man, and I stand to be corrected, but for now....
As I say, he's fine, as far as I can see the aircraft is fine. Ergo: Non story.