A seaplane carrying at least eight people was forced to make a hard landing in New York City’s East River on Sunday. Emergency responders from the FDNY arrived at the scene around 12:01 p.m. near the marina at East 23rd Street and the FDR Drive in Manhattan following reports of an aircraft down in the water.
Video footage captured from inside the cabin depicts the plane descending with the Empire State Building visible in the background. As the aircraft touches down, a series of bumps occurs, prompting the pilot to issue a mayday call. According to the NYPD, FDNY personnel successfully removed at least eight individuals from the vessel. Two passengers were evaluated for minor injuries, though at least one person declined further medical assistance.
The aircraft, a Kodiak 100 seaplane that had departed from the Hamptons, was later observed upright and being towed back to the dock by officials. The Federal Aviation Administration has confirmed it will investigate the incident, noting that the hard landing resulted in a snapped wing strut—a critical component that supports the wing by connecting it to the main body of the plane. The agency is expected to release a preliminary accident report later this week.
This incident follows a similar occurrence in the area just three weeks prior, documented in official records (Source: assets3.cbsnewsstatic.com/hub/i/r/2026/07/05/c9189c65-be8d-47e8-8eab-09bf5a4f769c/thumbnail/1200×630/8af87539ce0346df5fea9ba1e58376c9/east-river-small-plane-in-water-citizen-1-hi-res-still.jpg). On June 13, a pilot and a passenger were rescued by the FDNY near Whitestone, Queens, after their plane went down in the water. No injuries were reported in that earlier event.
