Cessna 172 Ditches in Hudson River Near Newburgh; Two Swim Ashore

A single-engine Cessna 172 made an emergency water landing in the Hudson River south of the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge after the pilot reported engine trouble, and both people aboard escaped the wreckage and swam to shore, authorities said. The pilot was identified as Liam Darcy, 31, and the aircraft carried a flight instructor and a 17-year-old student, according to a New York State Police account published after the rescue.

The ditching occurred Monday night, March 2, roughly around 8 p.m. according to multiple first-responder posts and local reports. Accounts differ on the plane’s origin: the Federal Aviation Administration was cited by several outlets as saying the Cessna had taken off from Long Island MacArthur Airport in Ronkonkoma, while other statements attributed to the FAA said the flight departed New York Stewart International Airport. That discrepancy on departure airport remains unresolved and requires confirmation from the FAA and flight records.

Middle Hope Fire Department crews, New York State Police troopers and Newburgh emergency medical personnel responded after the aircraft was reported down. The Middle Hope Fire Department posted photos showing the wreckage floating amid chunks of ice, and initial response logs indicated crews briefly could not locate the aircraft before spotting it a few minutes later in waters off Newburgh, about 62 miles north of Manhattan. Newburgh Emergency Medical Services evaluated the two occupants on scene and transported them to a hospital for treatment.

Hospital and injury details vary between releases. A New York State Police news release cited by local outlets said the pair were taken to St. Luke’s Hospital with minor injuries. County Executive Steve Neuhaus posted on Facebook that “both people on board the plane were recovered alive and taken to a local hospital for treatment. He added that they are expected to make a full recovery,” and he praised the responding agencies. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul posted on X, “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,” calling the rescue “Another miracle on the Hudson.”

Federal and state authorities have opened inquiries into the incident. The FAA said it is investigating, and some reports indicate the National Transportation Safety Board and the New York State Police are also involved in the follow-up. Investigators will need to reconcile differing accounts of the flight’s departure point, obtain the aircraft’s flight plan and examine communications in which the pilot reported engine trouble.

For now, investigators and local officials on March 3 were focused on recovery of the wreckage, a full accounting of the flight’s origin and timeline, and verification of the occupants’ condition. The case remains under official review by federal and state agencies; further details on causation and the aircraft’s registration are expected as the FAA, NTSB and New York State Police complete their preliminary work.