8 rescued – A small seaplane made a hard landing in New York City’s East River on July 5, sending fire crews to the water and prompting the rescue of eight passengers. Officials said the aircraft landed upright and was being towed back to a dock, while federal investigato
Eight people were rescued after a small seaplane made a hard landing in New York City’s East River on July 5, with first responders pulling passengers from the aircraft and officials describing minor injuries.
New York City Fire Department units were dispatched after a call that came just after 12 p.m. local time, reporting a plane in the East River near the area of the FDR Drive and East 23rd Street in Manhattan. The seaplane landed upright in the water and was being towed back to a dock, the FDNY said.
FDNY units removed eight people from the plane. Two passengers sustained minor injuries but declined medical attention at the scene, according to the FDNY.
The Federal Aviation Administration said the pilot “made a hard landing” in the East River. In the FAA’s statement, the hard landing caused a wing strut to snap. The FAA identified the aircraft as a Kodiak 100 and said “air traffic control was not providing services to the aircraft.”
The flight had departed from East Hampton Airport and was heading to the Skyport, New York City’s only seaplane terminal, as reported by The New York Times and CNN.
Even as crews moved quickly to get people out of the water. the timeline of the incident—captured in air traffic control recordings—shows how fast a routine route can shift. Recordings published by ATC.com captured the moments before and after the hard landing. including the pilot making a Mayday distress call. In one recording. a New York City Police Department helicopter responded to the scene and reported a “plane down in the water.”.
The FAA confirmed it is investigating the incident. The agency’s mention that air traffic control was not providing services to the aircraft is now central to how investigators will reconstruct what happened and why the response played out the way it did.
East River seaplane hard landing FDNY rescue Kodiak 100 FAA investigation Skyport East Hampton Airport Mayday air traffic control not providing services