Small Aircraft Makes Emergency Landing on Fire Island

A single-engine airplane made an emergency landing at approximately 12:15 p.m. on Monday, June 24, 2024. The Piper PA-28 craft, with the name “Icarus” stenciled on its tail, landed close to the community of Atlantique, near the Monte Cristo Walk beach overpass. Two individuals, the pilot and a passenger, were on board. Suffolk County Police confirm that no injuries were reported. According to several independent witness accounts, the pilot who made the emergency landing and emerged from the craft was female. Her passenger appeared to be a young man, possibly an aviation student, as the name on the plane’s tail identifies it comes from Icarus Flying Academy, which operates out of Republic Airport in Farmingdale. The plane’s wings were removed, and the craft was towed off the beach hours later. Engine failure is suspected as the cause of the impromptu beach landing, but the matter remains under investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration.