A single-engine Daher Kodiak 100 floatplane made a hard landing on New York City's East River around midday on July 5, 2026, and although the aircraft was left damaged, all eight people on board were pulled to safety by emergency crews.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the seaplane had departed East Hampton Airport on Long Island and was inbound to the Skyport seaplane base on the Manhattan side of the East River when it came down hard on the water. The impact was heavy enough to snap one of the aircraft's wing struts, leaving the Kodiak partially disabled on the river.
The Fire Department of the City of New York responded quickly, with FDNY units reaching the aircraft and rescuing everyone aboard. Of the eight occupants, two suffered minor injuries, while the remaining six were unhurt. The pilot had declared a mayday shortly before the aircraft touched down, alerting authorities to the emergency.
Seaplane services along the East River are a familiar sight in the summer months, ferrying travellers between Manhattan and destinations across Long Island and the wider region. The Skyport terminal on Manhattan's east side is one of the main hubs for these operations, and floatplanes such as the Kodiak 100 are well suited to the short, high-demand hops between the city and the Hamptons.
The Kodiak 100 is a rugged, high-wing utility turboprop originally developed by Quest Aircraft and now built by Daher. Powered by a single Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6 turboprop, it is designed for short-field and rough-water operations, which makes it a popular choice for float-equipped work in coastal and lake environments. When fitted with floats, the type can carry a pilot and several passengers into and out of waterways that conventional aircraft cannot reach.
Authorities have not identified the pilot or the passengers, and it was not immediately clear what led to the hard landing. Factors such as water conditions, wind and approach speed are typically examined in incidents of this kind, but no cause has been confirmed.
The FAA has said it will investigate the incident. Water landings that result in structural damage are taken seriously by regulators, even when everyone escapes with little or no injury, because the margins on a river approach in a busy urban area are slim.
For now, the key takeaway is that a potentially serious accident ended with everyone accounted for and only two minor injuries β an outcome that reflects both the quick mayday call and the rapid response from FDNY crews on the water.
Sources: Simple Flying, CNN. Featured image: AI-generated by AviationShop. By Daniel Okafor.
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