Terrifying Moment Inside Seaplane as It Smashes Into East River With 8 On Board [WATCH]

A seaplane carrying eight passengers made a hard landing in New York City’s East River on Sunday, leaving the aircraft partially submerged before emergency crews rescued everyone on board, as reported by The New York.

Video recorded from inside the cabin captured the tense moments as the Kodiak 100 descended toward the Skyport terminal near East 23rd Street and FDR Drive before striking the choppy waters of the East River.

The footage showed the aircraft making a forceful impact with the water as a loud boom echoed through the cabin. Passengers could be heard gasping as the plane jolted violently before bouncing across the waves.

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

As the aircraft rocked in the water, passengers appeared to brace themselves while nervous laughter filled the cabin after the plane came to a stop.

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“Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!” several passengers could be heard saying as emergency sirens approached.

Additional video taken after the landing showed the plane floating with one wing submerged while the two pilots instructed passengers to remain calm and keep their life vests nearby as rescue crews responded.

The flight had been returning from East Hampton when the incident occurred.

Among those aboard was 16-year-old Khloe Todd, who said she and her family had been traveling home after attending a birthday celebration.

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“It was a crash, a very bad one,” Todd said, describing the landing.

A 16-year-old passenger filmed the moment the seaplane she was flying in made a hard landing in New York City’s East River. All eight people aboard were rescued.

Read more: https://t.co/6PKLu8yrKV pic.twitter.com/h7HAPms1H0— ABC News (@ABC) July 6, 2026

She said her grandmother, Ada, was shaken by the impact.

“She’s really not feeling well – her ribs, her back, her head. It’s all swollen. It’s all really bad so we might end up going to the hospital tonight,” Todd added.

Todd also said the experience was especially frightening because it was her first time flying in a seaplane.

Although she said her family had flown many times before, she described herself as feeling “traumatized” following the incident.

Emergency personnel quickly arrived at the scene after the aircraft came to rest in the river. Officials said the passengers and crew were safely removed from the plane, and at least two people suffered minor injuries.

After everyone aboard had been evacuated, crews stabilized the aircraft by returning it to an upright position in the water before towing it back to the docks.

Photographs from the scene showed New York Police Department boats assisting passengers as emergency responders surrounded the damaged aircraft.

The flight was being operated by Acadian Seaplanes through Blade Air. According to the Daily Mail, the company attributed the hard landing to rough water conditions created by storms the previous night, combined with waves generated by nearby marine traffic.

“There were a lot of ferries in the vicinity, and there may have been wind at the last second,” the company told the outlet. “The waves they create can be a problem as you try to land on the water.”

Federal aviation records did not immediately identify who was piloting the aircraft.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration and publicly available flight-tracking websites, ownership information and flight routes for the aircraft are not publicly available.

Authorities have not announced whether weather, mechanical issues, pilot actions, or water conditions ultimately caused the incident.

Police said the investigation into the hard landing remains ongoing.

The incident follows another East River seaplane emergency less than a month earlier.

In that case, a seaplane was rescued after being struck by a wave during takeoff near the Throggs Neck Bridge, leaving the aircraft unable to continue its departure until emergency responders arrived.

Sunday’s incident ended without serious injuries, but dramatic video from inside the aircraft captured the frightening moments passengers experienced as the seaplane struck the water and came to rest partially submerged before rescue crews reached the scene.

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