How?
<The AC-130 loiters around an area for hours at a time, so reducing their detectability is important. One of the truisms of combat is that tracers work both ways. They're vulnerable in the daytime, as found out during the Gulf War. There was a heavy firefight and an AC-130 stuck around to continue supporting the ground troops even after daylight. It was shot down and all 13-14 crewmembers were killed.
How did they down it? SAM? AAA? I would think it would have to be substantial to take that down.
-Justin Kelly