RUTLAND TOWNSHIP -- PJ Kulak got a surprise tour of an Illinois Army National Guard helicopter early Thursday evening.
And the 12-year-old didn't have to travel far from home as the CH-47D Chinook was parked in a nearby soybean field near Rutland.

Three Guardsmen had to make a precautionary landing just before 1 p.m. Thursday during a training exercise after a warning light flashed, indicating a mechanical failure in the transmission.

So Chief Warrant Officer John Greenwald landed in the nearest and safest location he could find, which happened to be a bean field along Dana Road (200 North), just west of Interstate 39.

"We landed safely; there was no incident," Greenwald said.

The dark green helicopter could be spotted from the interstate, where truck drivers had pulled over to observe the scene.

Once word spread about the surprising event, Kulak and some of his friends headed to the field Thursday evening, where they were treated to a tour of the helicopter by the Guardsmen.

"I thought it was pretty cool; it's pretty neat," he said. "A lot of people came to see it."

A resident who lives just west of the site stood in the field watching Guardsmen work on the aircraft Friday morning. A crane was expected to arrive later that day to remove the rotors, in which just underneath, sits the transmission.

"It was the talk at the coffee shop this morning," the resident said, laughing.

Greenwald said dozens of residents visited the scene out of curiosity, and at one point, eight cars were parked along the field.

"The local folks are great, they're real supportive; it's just awesome," said Greenwald, who has been with the National Guard for about 20 years.

A local Pizza Hut manager also drove by the scene Thursday, and delivered free pizzas to the men, in which two had to stand guard throughout the night.

The unit, Company F, 106 Aviation, is based in Peoria.

The owner of the property lives out of town, but a resident who farms the land was notified of the incident Thursday.

Greenwald said the helicopter, which can hold 30 people, should be ready to fly today.

The landing also provided a hands-on training assignment for area Guardsmen.

About a dozen part-time, or "traditional" Guardsmen, were at the scene, taking apart the rotors and taking turns watching the aircraft during the night.