A Kodiak 100 seaplane carrying ten people made a hard landing in New York City’s East River on Saturday, prompting an emergency response that safely rescued everyone on board. Authorities said the aircraft was later towed back to the dock, while the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) opened an investigation into the incident.
New York fire officials were called to reports of an aircraft in the water shortly after midday local time (16:00 GMT) near the marina at East 23rd Street and FDR Drive in Manhattan.
The seaplane remained upright after landing and was subsequently towed back to the dock, officials said.
Fire department crews rescued eight people from the
aircraft, while two sustained minor injuries but declined medical treatment.
FAA investigating hard landing
The FAA, which is investigating the incident, said the pilot “made a hard landing”, causing one of the aircraft’s wing struts to snap.
A hard landing occurs when an aircraft touches down with excessive vertical speed or force beyond the manufacturer’s specified limits.
The agency also said on social media that air traffic control “was not providing services to the aircraft” when the incident occurred.
Plane reportedly struck wave while landing
According to The New York Times, the seaplane had departed from the Hamptons and was approaching a seaplane base when it reportedly struck a wave during landing, causing it to partially capsize.
The latest incident comes just three weeks after another seaplane was damaged in the East River.
On June 13, a small two-seater aircraft was struck by a large wave while attempting to take off near Queens.
During that incident, the FDNY rescued the pilot and one passenger after the aircraft entered the water, CBS News reported.
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