A passenger aboard a Kodiak 100 seaplane recorded the terrifying moment the aircraft slammed into the East River near Manhattan on Sunday, capturing the jolt of impact, rushing water, and frantic voices as those on board scrambled to escape. The video, first published by The Sun, shows the cabin pitching violently as the plane struck choppy waters and partially capsized near East 23rd Street and FDR Drive.
All eight people aboard survived. Only two sustained minor injuries. But the footage reveals just how close the situation came to something far worse, and it raises fresh questions about seaplane safety on one of the busiest waterways in the country.
The crash occurred at approximately 12:01 p.m. Sunday near the Manhattan ferry terminal and Skyport seaplane base. Fox News reported that the pilot declared a mayday before the aircraft came down, based on air traffic control recordings. The plane, a Kodiak 100 registered as N726SH, made what the FAA described as a hard landing.
During the landing, a wing strut snapped. That structural failure caused the aircraft to lurch and partially flip in the water. Passengers inside the cabin can be heard shouting as the plane tilts and water begins entering the fuselage.
The video from inside the cabin shows passengers bracing as the aircraft hits the surface. The footage captures the abrupt deceleration, the sound of metal buckling, and the disorienting shift as the plane rolled onto its side. Within seconds, those aboard began working to get out.
FDNY crews reached the scene quickly and pulled all eight people from the downed aircraft. The New York Post reported that two passengers were evaluated for minor injuries, while the remaining six walked away without physical harm.
Dan Thys, a recreational boater who was among the first civilians on scene, described the instinct that took over when he saw the plane go down.
"The first thing that rang through our mind is how can we help?"
Thys said he and others moved toward the crash site to assist before official responders arrived. But the window for civilian involvement was brief.
"And then very shortly thereafter the NYPD came up, and they told us they were taking over and so we backed off and let the NYPD take care of it."
The NYPD assumed control of the scene, and the aircraft was eventually towed back to dock. The coordination between the fire department, police, and civilian boaters helped ensure no one was left in the water.
The FAA confirmed that the crash landing caused a wing strut to snap, a critical structural component that helps support the wing's connection to the fuselage. On a seaplane, wing struts also bear significant stress during water landings, particularly in rough conditions. The East River's currents and chop are well known to pilots who operate out of the Skyport terminal.
Federal investigators have not publicly confirmed whether the strut failure caused the hard landing or resulted from it. That distinction matters. If the strut broke before or during the initial water contact, it could point to a maintenance issue or a structural deficiency in the aircraft. If it snapped on impact due to excessive force, the focus shifts to pilot technique, weather conditions, or operational decisions. The FAA has shown increased willingness to pursue enforcement actions in aviation safety cases, and the agency's investigation here will determine whether any regulatory violations occurred.
Investigators will also need to determine the weight load aboard the aircraft. Breitbart reported that ten people were aboard, while other accounts placed the number at eight. The discrepancy has not been publicly resolved. Whether the plane carried eight or ten passengers could affect the weight-and-balance analysis that federal investigators will conduct.
Sunday's incident marks the second seaplane crash in the East River in less than a month. That pattern will draw scrutiny from both federal regulators and city officials who oversee waterway operations near Manhattan.
Seaplane operations in New York City occupy a narrow corridor of airspace and waterway that demands precision. The East River is not a calm lake. It carries strong tidal currents, boat traffic, and unpredictable surface conditions. Pilots landing there must account for all of it in real time. Aviation accidents involving structural failures have drawn significant legal attention in recent years, including wrongful death litigation stemming from fatal private plane crashes elsewhere in the country.
Two crashes in rapid succession will force regulators to examine whether current safety standards for commercial seaplane operations in urban waterways are adequate. The FAA's investigation into Sunday's crash will likely include a review of the aircraft's maintenance records, the pilot's training and certification, and the operator's compliance history.
The passenger footage is striking because it captures something rarely seen: the interior of an aircraft during a crash, filmed by someone living through it. The camera shakes violently at the moment of impact. Voices overlap. The horizon visible through the windows tilts sharply as the plane rolls.
What the video does not show is the moments immediately before the landing attempt, which would help explain whether passengers had warning or whether the failure came without notice. Investigators will likely seek the full, unedited recording as part of their review. Past crash investigations, including the federal probe into the UPS cargo plane crash in Louisville, have shown how critical post-incident evidence collection is to determining cause and accountability.
Authorities have not publicly identified the pilot or the seaplane's operator. They have not disclosed whether the pilot held a current commercial seaplane rating or how many flight hours the pilot had logged on the Kodiak 100. Those details will matter as the investigation progresses.
The outcome here was remarkably fortunate. A seaplane partially capsizing in a tidal river in the middle of a major city could easily have produced fatalities. That it did not owes something to the speed of the FDNY response, the quick action of civilian boaters like Thys, and what appears to have been enough structural integrity in the cabin to keep passengers above water long enough to be rescued.
But luck is not a safety system. Two seaplane crashes in the same stretch of river in under a month is not a coincidence regulators can afford to treat as one. Legal fallout from aviation incidents can stretch for years, as lawsuits filed after high-profile plane crashes have repeatedly demonstrated.
The FAA's investigation is ongoing. No findings have been released. No enforcement actions have been announced.
Eight people walked away from a broken plane in the East River on Sunday. The video they brought with them may end up telling investigators more than any flight recorder could. What matters now is whether anyone in a position of authority is willing to act on what it shows.
