Army helicopter back in Rochester after unplanned landing in Kendall Thursday night

Photos courtesy of Ben Jones: The CH-47 Chinook takes off Friday after being repaired following precautionary landing Thursday in a Kendall farm field.

KENDALL – The CH-47 Chinook whch made a precautionary landing in a Kendall farm field on Thursday night returned to Rochester at about noon on Friday.

The large helicopter is based at the Army Aviation Support Facility at Rochester International Airport. The CH-47 was conducting a routine training flight on Thursday evening, said Eric Durr, director of public affairs for the New York State Division of Military and Naval Affairs.

“Shortly before 8 p.m. the crew noticed that a transmission warning light had come on,” he said. “This indicated that metal shavings could be in the transmission. The crew followed the correct emergency procedures for this situation, which required them to land as soon as possible. The crew made a precautionary landing near Kenmore Road in the Town of Kendall.”

None of the four soldiers on board were injured and nobody on the ground was ever in any danger, he said.

A CH-47 from Rochester flew to the site and transported three crew members back to Rochester. One stayed with the aircraft.

On Friday morning, maintenance personnel inspected the helicopter and conducted tests which indicated that the aircraft could safely conduct a flight back to Rochester for additional inspections and maintenance, Durr said.

That was completed before noon on Friday and the aircraft returned to the Army Aviation Support Facility by 12:15.

One of the crew members wrote on the Orleans Hub Facebook page, thanking local residents for stopping by with coffee and food.

The CH-47 created a stir in Kendall, with many residents stopping by to get a close look. The crew even gave some tours of the large aircraft.