Seaplane lands in river near downtown

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) – A bizarre scene played out Friday afternoon in Charleston where a seaplane landed on the Kanawha River and floated through town.

People lined up along with side of the river to take photos, while boaters approached the plane to make sure everything was OK.

The seaplane landed around 2 p.m. near Haddad Riverfront Park, floated all the way through town and, according to flight records, took off past the turnpike bridge around an hour later.

The slow float down the river is what everyone is talking about, though. The plane had its propeller on and doors open -- and even did a loop near the University of Charleston and the Capitol.

According to Kanawha County Emergency Management, it was a planned landing that had the Federal Aviation Administration’s approval.

No one was hurt. The pilot had his door open as people stopped to take photos.

Flight records show the seaplane landed in Beckley after a short flight. Officials at West Virginia International Yeager Airport say there’s no record of the plane stopping there.

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