A seaplane carrying eight people made a hard landing in New York City’s East River on Sunday, July 6, 2026, causing alarm among bystanders and resulting in two minor injuries, according to city authorities.

The New York City Fire Department reported the incident occurred around noon. The plane remained upright after the landing and was subsequently towed back to dock.

Images circulated on social media showed the white seaplane leaning on its side with the tip of its left wing in the water, while a helicopter circled overhead.

Local news outlet WABC reported that two passengers received treatment for minor injuries. One passenger, 75-year-old Ada Todd, told the outlet from the hospital that she was "in shock, in lots of pain, but happy to be alive."

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) stated on X that the aircraft involved was a Kodiak 100. The FAA added that the hard landing caused a "swing strut to snap" and that air traffic control was not providing services to the aircraft at the time.

CBS News published a video taken by a 16-year-old passenger capturing the moment the seaplane hit the river. They also released a recording of a radio transmission from a New York police helicopter responding to the incident.

Sources