In 1968 , '' Penelope '' assisted in the aftermath of the Aer Lingus Flight 712 crash in the Irish Sea . There has been a number of conspiracy theories about the crash , including the alleged involvement of '' Penelope '' . The theory goes that the ship , while performing tests , mistook the aircraft for a target drone and shot her down . All conspiracy theories have been refuted by the Ministry of Defence , while a 2002 report on the accident by an international study team noted that '' Penelope '' was from the site of the accident , and was not fitted with surface to air missiles
Aer Lingus Flight 712
Aer Lingus Flight 712
HMS Penelope (F127)