Overview
- Authorities identified the occupants as flight instructor Liam D’Arcy, 31, and a 17-year-old student on a night training flight that departed Long Island MacArthur Airport.
- Air traffic control audio captured the pilot reporting lost oil pressure and limited power before declaring an emergency and preparing to land in the river.
- The 1978 Cessna 172 came down near the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge about 200 feet from the west shore, where ice and freezing temperatures complicated the response.
- Both occupants self-extricated, swam roughly 50 feet to shore, and were evaluated for minor injuries and hypothermia before being released from a local hospital.
- FAA and NTSB teams, working with New York State Police and the U.S. Coast Guard, are investigating the cause; early statements noted no signs of impairment or criminal activity.