A Cessna 172 was substantially damaged Monday evening after ditching in the Hudson River off Newburgh, New York, during an apparent approach to New York Stewart International Airport. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the single-engine aircraft was carrying a pilot and one passenger when it went down at about 8 p.m. Both occupants were able to exit the aircraft and swim to shore, where they were evaluated and later transported to a hospital with minor injuries.
Another miracle on the Hudson.
— Governor Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul) March 3, 2026
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 aircraft, a 1978 Cessna 172N, which appears to be owned by a flight school, departed Long Island MacArthur Airport in Ronkonkoma and was en route to Stewart International. The aircraft attempted an emergency landing in the Hudson River near the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge.
In a statement, the Middle Hope Fire Department said, “The occupants were able to safely extricate themselves and swim to shore. The passengers were evaluated by Town of Newburgh Emergency Medical Services on scene before being transported to the hospital.”
Weather observations from Stewart around the time of the incident reported clear skies, 7 miles visibility and a temperature of 27 degrees Fahrenheit.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul referenced the 2009 Hudson River airliner ditching in a social media post, writing, “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.”
They didn’t attempt an emergency landing, as the article states, they performed it. Bringing the airplane down into the water and being able to swim to shore unharmed qualifies as a successful execution of the maneuver.
Surprising - Gov Hochul didn’t announce future Hudson River landing fees.
I am certainly glad they escaped but sadly another classic 172 goes to the scrap heap.
Another single engine airplane goes down. I guess following a river is a good idea if you musts cross NYC.
Another talking head, does she thank her master when people survive traffic accidents?
I presume the Instructor landed the aircraft; since the aircraft did not flip over; everything was done correctly: assumptions: full flaps, touched on the ice at 48 mph, skidded on the ice while slowing down more, and then dropping into the water. The only scenario I know for the aircraft not to flip over in the water. And hearing from the pilot instructor is needed. Water landings are never perfect, except in this case, remarkably, and why fixed gear aircraft almost always flip over. Making this landing a true miracle.
Does not look like a scrap heap problem. Just a dry out problem. Aircraft is still intact, in one piece, remarkably! Probably depends on how careful the salvagers are in pulling the aircraft from the water!
Impressive that it didn’t flip. It would be much harder to extricate, and deal with inrushing very cold water, if the plane inverted. Excellent job by whoever flew it to the surface. That ice looks too broken up to have changed touch-down dynamics very much; must have been well slowed-down and pitched up to end up upright.