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Seaplane Makes Hard Landing in East River; All Eight Passengers Rescued
A seaplane carrying eight people made a hard landing in New York City's East River on Sunday afternoon. All passengers were rescued, with two sustaining minor injuries. The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the incident.
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A seaplane carrying eight people made a hard landing in New York City's East River shortly after noon on Sunday, prompting an immediate rescue response. The New York City Fire Department said units responded to reports of a plane down in the water near the marina at East 23rd Street and the FDR Drive in Manhattan.
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All eight people aboard were removed from the aircraft, and two were evaluated for minor injuries.
The plane had departed from East Hampton Airport earlier in the day. Video recorded inside the aircraft shows a series of bumps during touchdown, followed by the pilot issuing a Mayday call. The Federal Aviation Administration stated that the landing caused a wing strut to snap. The aircraft remained upright and was later towed back to a dock.
A 16-year-old passenger told CBS News that the plane tilted sharply on impact. "I thought we were going to go down and drown," she said. Her 75-year-old grandmother, who had flown the same type of seaplane before without incident, was also on board.
Another seaplane went down in the East River near Whitestone, Queens, on June 13. In that case, a pilot and one passenger were taken aboard a boat with no reported injuries. The Federal Aviation Administration said it will release a preliminary accident report later this week.
