NEW YORK—A seaplane carrying eight people made a hard landing in New York City's East River on Sunday, prompting a large emergency response in which all occupants were rescued and two people sustained minor injuries, according to city officials.
The New York City Fire Department (FDNY) said it received reports of the incident shortly after noon near the Skyport seaplane terminal at East 23rd Street along the FDR Drive. Fire department crews removed all eight people from the aircraft, which remained afloat before being towed back to a dock.
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said the pilot of a Kodiak 100 seaplane made a hard landing in the East River at about noon local time, causing a wing strut to snap. The agency said air traffic control was not providing services to the aircraft at the time and that it had opened an investigation into the incident.
The FDNY and New York police said two people were evaluated for minor injuries. Officials initially issued differing information about the number of people aboard before revising the total to eight, according to updated statements from city authorities.
Images from the scene showed the aircraft leaning to one side with part of a wing in the water as rescue boats surrounded it. Emergency responders later stabilized the seaplane and towed it from the river.
Authorities have not identified the cause of the hard landing. The FAA said its investigation is ongoing, and officials had not released additional details as of publication.
