Small plane makes hard landing into New York’s East River, officials say

By Sneha Dhandapani, CNN

A seaplane made a hard landing in the East River between Brooklyn and Manhattan just after noon Sunday, according to New York officials.

Eight people were removed from the plane by New York City Fire Department responders. Two people sustained minor injuries and declined medical attention at the scene, FDNY said.

FDNY received a call at 12:01 p.m. about a seaplane making a hard landing in the river north of the Williamsburg Bridge. The plane landed upright in the water, FDNY said. The aircraft is currently being towed back to dock.

The plane had taken off from the Town of East Hampton Airport at 11:24 a.m., according to flight records.

Audio from ATC.com captured the moment an NYPD helicopter responded to the incident.

“Mayday, mayday, mayday,” the helicopter pilot reported. “Plane down in the water.”

The crew reported seeing two boats approaching the downed aircraft.

“It looks like the pilot is OK,” the helicopter pilot radioed in, according to the ATC.com audio.

The rough landing caused a wing strut to snap, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. The FAA will investigate the incident.

The Kodiak 100 seaplane was built last year, according to FAA ownership records. The plane’s owner is not publicly listed.

This story has been updated with additional information.

The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.

CNN’s Aaron Cooper and Sarah Dewberry contributed to this report.