Kodiak 100 Seaplane Makes Hard Landing on New York's East River; No Serious Injuries Reported
The operator of a Kodiak 100 turboprop that made a hard landing on New York City's East River on Sunday said it is investigating the cause of the accident. Acadian Seaplanes, which offers chartered flights in the U.S. Northeast and between Florida's mainland and coastal islands, said in a LinkedIn post that the aircraft sustained "structural damage during the landing rollout" after touching down on the river around noon EDT Sunday. Per air traffic control audio, the accident occurred near the New York Skyports Seaplane Base (6N7) near East 23rd Street in Manhattan. Acadian said the seaplane's flight crew "responded immediately and in accordance with their training," working with controllers at LaGuardia Airport (KLGA), police, and firefighters to evacuate six passengers "without injury." The New York City Fire Department (FDNY) said in a statement to People magazine that eight occupants were removed from the plane, with two suffering "minor injuries" and refusing medical attention. The FAA in a statement also said there were eight occupants aboard the seaplane. It added that the "hard landing" caused the plane's wing struts to "snap." Video of the incident appears to show the aircraft hitting a wave before landing, damaging its left float, which may have caused damage to the wing. WATCH: Video captures moment seaplane crashes in the East River near a marina in New York City https://t.co/6E0oCyqybF pic.twitter.com/0KPAeqHOaK — Breaking Aviation News & Videos (@aviationbrk) July 5, 2026 Acadian said it is conducting a "thorough investigation" with the FAA and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) to determine the cause of the accident and identify any corrective actions. "The safety of our passengers, crew, and the public remains our highest priority," Acadian wrote on LinkedIn. "Safe and efficient seaplane operations are the foundation of our business, and we remain fully committed to maintaining the highest standards of safety in every aspect of our operations." Per FAA records, the single-engine Kodiak 100 was manufactured last year. Its owner requested that personal identifying information be withheld from public records. The Daily Mail reported that Acadian was operating the flight on behalf of Blade Air Mobility, which owns private terminals throughout Manhattan. "There were a lot of ferries in the vicinity and there may have been wind at the last second," per a Blade company source quoted by The Daily Mail . "The waves they create can be a problem as you try to land on the water." Though flight data for the aircraft that crashed, registration N726SH, is unavailable, a second seaplane that responded to the accident, registered N555NL, departed East Hampton Airport (KJPX) at 10:38 a.m. Sunday. Per air traffic control (ATC) audio, a mayday call came into the LaGuardia control tower around noon, and police quickly responded to the damaged aircraft. LaGuardia controllers diverted at least one aircraft that had planned to land at the seaplane base. The pilot of N555NL confirmed to a police helicopter circling the accident site that there were multiple passengers on board, with no apparent injuries. Around 12:04 p.m., the helicopter said the New York City Police Department's (NYPD) Harbor Unit was in contact with the seaplane crew. By 12:06 p.m., the helicopter confirmed that passengers were deplaning onto an NYPD harbor boat. The Kodiak 100's floats may have played a role in minimizing the damage to the aircraft and its occupants. Typically, a hard landing in a float plane is akin to hitting a large pothole with a car and bending the rim of a wheel.
