In brief
Eight occupants were pulled from a Kodiak 100 seaplane that landed hard in the East River near East 23rd Street. New York firefighters responded at 16:00 GMT, towed the upright aircraft to shore, and removed all passengers. Two of the eight sustained minor injuries but declined medical help. The FAA noted the pilot performed a hard landing that snapped a wing strut, and air traffic control was not guiding the plane. A similar wave strike incident occurred earlier in June, and the FAA will investigate the July incident.
Eight occupants were rescued from a Kodiak 100 seaplane that made a hard landing in the East River near East 23rd Street and FDR Drive on 5 July 2026. New York firefighters, responding to reports around 16:00 GMT, towed the upright aircraft back to the dock and evacuated all passengers.
The FDNY removed eight people from the aircraft; two suffered minor injuries but chose to decline medical assistance.
American regulators stated the pilot performed a hard landing that snapped a wing strut, while air traffic control was not providing services to the plane at the time, according to the FAA.
A similar wave‑strike incident involving a small two‑seater seaplane occurred a few weeks earlier, prompting additional scrutiny of waterborne aviation safety in the river.
