A small plane attempting an emergency landing in the frigid Hudson River crashed Monday night near Newburgh, and its pilot and student escaped the wreckage and swam to shore for help, authorities said. The incident left the aircraft damaged in the water but, according to investigators, both occupants survived and were able to reach responders.
Federal Aviation Administration officials said the crash came shortly after the single-engine Cessna 172 took off from Long Island MacArthur Airport in Ronkonkoma. New York state police identified the pilot as Liam D’Arcy, 31, and said the other occupant was his 17-year-old student. State police said D’Arcy reported engine trouble shortly before the plane went down south of the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge.
Emergency responders were dispatched to the reported crash site but initially could not locate the aircraft, Middle Hope Fire Department reported. A few minutes later, the plane was spotted in waters off Newburgh, about 62 miles (100 kilometers) north of Manhattan, according to the same account.
After the crash, D’Arcy and his student were treated at a hospital for undisclosed minor injuries and later released. The FAA said it is investigating what caused the crash.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul praised responders for their work during the incident, calling the rescue “another miracle on the Hudson.” Hochul’s comment referenced the January 2009 crash of a US Airways jet that landed in the river after losing power in both engines shortly after takeoff, when pilot Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger was widely hailed for saving everyone aboard.
The aircraft accident is still under investigation, and officials have not released information on what led to the engine trouble report or the attempted emergency landing.