A Kodiak 100 seaplane made a hard landing in the East River on Sunday, July 5, 2026, near the NY Skyport [1, 2].
The incident occurred in a high-traffic waterway between Manhattan and Brooklyn, requiring a coordinated rescue effort by city emergency services to ensure no passengers were left in the water.
The aircraft landed around noon [3]. According to reports, the plane suffered a hard landing that broke a support strut, though the vessel remained upright in the water [1, 4]. Emergency responders from the FDNY and NYPD arrived at the scene near East 23rd Street and FDR Drive to assist those on board [4, 5].
Reports regarding the number of occupants vary. One source said that eight people were rescued [6], while another report indicated the plane was carrying 10 people [7].
"The plane made a hard landing but no injuries were reported," said a NYPD spokesperson [8].
Rescue crews worked to stabilize the aircraft and move the occupants to safety. Once the passengers were cleared, the FDNY moved the plane from the river to a secure location.
"The aircraft was upright in the water and we were able to tow it back to a nearby dock," said an FDNY spokesperson [4].
Passengers described the experience as frightening but manageable. "We were all okay, just a bit shaken," said one passenger who chose to remain anonymous [9].
Officials have not yet released a specific cause for the hard landing, though the structural damage to the support strut was noted by responders [1, 4].
“"The aircraft was upright in the water and we were able to tow it back to a nearby dock."”
The successful evacuation and recovery of the aircraft highlight the efficiency of NYC's maritime emergency response. Because the plane remained upright despite the broken strut, the incident avoided becoming a mass-casualty event in a densely populated urban corridor.
