Hanover Park football field damaged after emergency helicopter landing

A pilot flying a helicopter made an emergency landing on a Hanover Park youth football field Saturday, village officials say.

There were no injuries to the pilot, a passenger or anyone on the ground in the landing, triggered by an engine failure, Mayor Rodney Craig said.

The pilot was Chris Bachman, the owner of Bachman Aero, which offers flight lessons from Schaumburg Regional Airport, according to Craig.

"He had to put it down on the first place he saw," Craig said.

A tow truck that tried to haul away the two-seat helicopter got stuck in the mud, damaging the Hanover Park Hurricanes field along Barrington Road, Craig said. A second flatbed truck was able to remove the helicopter, but only after taking down a portion of a fence around the field.

"The football field is kind of a wreck," Craig said.

The Hurricanes planned a flag football tournament most of Saturday, but weather forced organizers to postpone a 10:30 a.m. game until Sunday.

The nonprofit group relies on donations and volunteers to bring youth football and cheerleading to Hanover Park. The damaged field threatens the future of those activities, but Craig said he's thankful no one was hurt.

"That was kind of a blessing," he said.