Liberty Island ferry makes hard landing with 506 on board, no injuries reported

A Statue Cruises ferry carrying more than 500 people made a hard landing on Liberty Island Tuesday, injuring nine passengers, the U.S. Coast Guard said.

The injuries were minor, and all but one of the passengers refused medical attention. A woman with an injured leg was taken to a hospital in Manhattan, a Coast Guard spokesman said.

The 122-foot Miss New Jersey hit the island where the Statue of Liberty stands after 3 p.m., authorities said.

The crash did not cause pollution to spill into New York Harbor or cause the boat to take on water. Passengers disembarked at Liberty Island and were offered transportation back to the city, authorities said.

The vessel has been taken out of service and Statue Cruises ordered a drug and alcohol test on the operator, the Coast Guard spokesman said.

"We are relieved that there were no serious injuries, and we are working with the National Park Service to identify the cause of the hard landing," said Mike Burke, chief operating officer of Statue Cruises, in a statement.

The Coast Guard is investigating the cause of the accident and said initial reports suggested engine failure.