Eight people were rescued from a seaplane after it made a “hard landing” in New York City’s East River.
The Kodiak 100 seaplane made a “hard landing” and “tilted into the water” shortly after noon on Sunday, a New York Police Department spokesperson said. Crews rescued eight adults from the plane, including the pilot.
Officials offered conflicting reports of how many people were injured. The police department’s spokesperson said one person sustained minor injuries, while the New York Fire Department said two civilians had minor injuries.
The plane is upright in the water, and crews are towing it back to the dock, fire officials said. The “hard landing” caused a wing strut to snap, according to the FAA, which is investigating the incident.
A New York Police Department helicopter alerted authorities to the scene, according to air traffic control audio reviewed by CNN.
“Mayday, mayday, mayday. Plane down in the water,” the helicopter pilot said.
“It looks like the pilot is OK,” the helicopter pilot added.
The plane departed from East Hampton and was en route to the seaplane base Skyport, located off East 23rd Street and Franklin D. Roosevelt Drive, The New York Times reported.
Witness Marcus Hurlburt told The NYT he saw at least three people get on top of one of the plane’s floats. He also praised the pilot and compared him to Sully Sullenberger, the pilot who famously landed a U.S. Airways jet in the Hudson River in January 2009, saving the lives of everyone on board.
“The pilot did a great job on making sure it didn’t turn over,” Hurlburt told the newspaper. “He pulled a Sully on that one. I was so impressed the pilot didn’t let it sink.”
This comes just weeks after crews had to rescue a seaplane pilot and his passenger from the East River after a wave hit the aircraft during takeoff, according to the New York Post. No one was seriously hurt in the incident, which unfolded on June 13.
