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Hard landing in East River
A Kodiak 100 seaplane made a hard landing in New York City's East River on Sunday, and FDNY responded to reports of a plane down in the water at around 12:01 p.m. off the marina at East 23rd Street and the FDR Drive in Manhattan.
“At least eight people were removed from the plane by FDNY units”
CBS News said at least eight people were removed from the plane by FDNY units, and two were being evaluated for minor injuries, though at least one refused medical attention, the NYPD said.
The Federal Aviation Administration said it will investigate after "the pilot of a Kodiak 100 seaplane made a hard landing in the East River near Brooklyn, New York, at about noon local time on Sunday, July 5, causing a wing strut to snap."
CNN reported the plane landed upright in the water and was being towed back to dock, after taking off from the Town of East Hampton Airport at 11:24 a.m.
BBC said eight people were removed from the Kodiak 100 seaplane by fire department units, and two had minor injures and refused medical attention.
Mayday calls and rescues
USA Today said the FDNY received a call just after 12 p.m. local time reporting a plane in the East River near the area FDR Drive and East 23rd Street in Manhattan, and it said the plane landed upright in the water and was being towed back to a dock.
CNN described ATC.com audio in which an NYPD helicopter pilot reported, "Mayday, mayday, mayday," and then said, "Plane down in the water."
NBC News reported that at least two of the people on board the aircraft were being treated for minor injuries, and it said officials lowered their initial passenger count from 10 to eight.
ABC7 New York said the FDNY initially said the plane was carrying 10 civilians, and it reported eight passengers were removed by FDNY units, with two sustaining minor injuries and being evaluated by EMS.
BBC said the FAA, which will investigate the incident, stated the pilot "made a hard landing", causing a wing strut to snap.
FAA investigation and prior incident
The FAA said air traffic control was not providing services to the aircraft, and USA Today quoted the FAA statement that "air traffic control was not providing services to the aircraft."
“air traffic control was not providing services to the aircraft”
CBS News said the seaplane had taken off in the Hamptons, and it reported that the FAA is expected to post a preliminary accident report some time this week.
CBS News also pointed to a prior incident three weeks earlier, when on June 13 the FDNY took a pilot and one passenger onto a boat after their plane went down near Whitestone, Queens, and it said no injuries were reported in that incident.
CNN said the FAA will investigate the incident, and it reported that the Kodiak 100 seaplane was built last year, according to FAA ownership records.
BBC added that another seaplane was damaged in the East River three weeks ago, and it said that aircraft, a small two-seater, was struck by a large wave as it tried to take off from the river on 13 June.
