Eight rescued from seaplane that made 'hard landing' in New York's East River

Key developments are emerging from the global stage. Eight rescued from seaplane that made 'hard landing' in New York's East RiverImage source, Getty ImagesPublished5 July 2026, 18:33 BSTUpdated 13 minutes agoAt least eight people were rescued from a seaplane that landed in New York City's East River on Sunday, authorities say. New York fire officials responded to reports of a plane down at around 1201 local time (1701 BST) off the marina at East 23rd Street and FDR Drive in Manhattan. The seaplane was upright and towed back to the dock, fire officials say.

Eight people were removed from the Kodiak 100 seaplane by fire department units and two had minor injures and refused medical attention. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said the pilot "made a hard landing" causing a wing strut to snap and it will investigate. Image source, Getty ImagesIn a hard landing, a plane touches down with excessive vertical speed or force, exceeding the manufacturer limit.

The Details

The FAA said on social media that air traffic control "was not providing services to the aircraft" at the time of the incident. Another seaplane was damaged in the East River three weeks ago. That aircraft, a small two-seater, was struck by a large wave as it tried to take off from the river on 13 June.

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