Photo: NNehring / E+ / Getty Images
A small plane made an emergency landing in the frigid Hudson River late Monday (March 2), crashing into the icy water near Newburgh, New York — but both people on board escaped the wreckage and swam to shore alive.
According to News Center Maine, the pilot and a single passenger aboard the single-engine Cessna 172 were recovered and are expected to make a full recovery. Flight tracking data from FlightAware shows the aircraft took off from Long Island MacArthur Airport in Ronkonkoma around 6:54 p.m. ET before the situation turned critical.
Emergency responders rushed to the scene after a 911 call came in around 8:08 p.m. ET. The Middle Hope Fire Department reported that crews were initially unable to locate the downed aircraft, but spotted it a few minutes later in waters off Newburgh, about 62 miles north of Manhattan. The two occupants had already freed themselves from the plane and swum to shore on their own.
Orange County, New York, Executive Steve Neuhaus confirmed the rescue in a statement on Facebook, saying, "Earlier this evening, we received a distress call regarding a small aircraft that had made an emergency landing in the Hudson River. At this time, we can report that all occupants have been recovered alive and are being treated at a local hospital and are expected to make a full recovery." He added, "We are so proud of all the first responders that were part of this successful rescue."
Neuhaus said the plane lost power before the crash. The aircraft was slowly sinking as of Monday night, with the U.S. Coast Guard working to recover it.
Both the pilot and passenger were taken to a local hospital for treatment of minor injuries. Their names have not been released.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul praised first responders for their swift action, posting on X, "Another miracle on the Hudson. Thank God both the pilot and passenger of a single engine plane that performed an ice landing near Newburgh have been located with only minor injuries. Grateful to our first responders for their quick actions." The governor's reference to a "miracle on the Hudson" echoes the famous January 2009 emergency water landing, when pilot Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger successfully set down a US Airways jet on the Hudson River after a bird strike knocked out both engines, saving all 155 people on board.
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the cause of Monday's crash remains unclear. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has opened an investigation into the incident. The FAA is expected to release further findings as the investigation proceeds.