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Seaplane Makes Hard Landing and Partially Capsizes in East River

The FAA has opened an investigation into whether wave action or the hard touchdown caused a broken wing strut and the partial capsizing of the aircraft.

Overview

  • A Kodiak 100 flying from East Hampton hit the East River during a second approach after an initial go‑around, and witnesses and video showed a wave strike as the plane made a hard landing on Sunday.
  • The pilot issued a mayday and New York City fire and police boats arrived about 90 seconds later to pull all eight people on board to safety.
  • Two people reported minor injuries and declined on‑scene medical treatment, and no serious injuries have been reported.
  • The FAA confirmed the plane, built last year, suffered a broken wing strut, is being towed to a dock, and has opened an official investigation into the incident.
  • The crash follows a similar East River seaplane wave event about three weeks earlier, raising fresh questions about surface conditions and seaplane operating risks that regulators and operators may now review.