A tragic plane crash occurred in upstate New York, resulting in the loss of six lives from a prominent family, comprising both esteemed professionals and remarkable young athletes. They were traveling to the Catskills for a birthday celebration and the Passover holiday when their private plane, a twin-engine Mitsubishi MU-2B, crashed around noon on Saturday in a field in Copake, New York, near the Massachusetts border, as confirmed by local authorities and a family representative.
The plane’s pilot communicated with air traffic controllers at the Columbia County Airport shortly before the crash, indicating a missed approach and requesting a revised approach plan, as stated by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) in a briefing on Sunday. During this process, air traffic controllers issued three warnings of a low altitude alert, receiving no responses or distress signals from the pilot.
NTSB official Todd Inman reported that video footage of the plane’s final moments showed the aircraft was intact before it descended rapidly and crashed, indicating a high-speed impact with the ground.
The victims included Karenna Groff, recognized as the NCAA woman of the year 2022 for her accomplishments as an MIT soccer player; her father, Dr. Michael Groff, a skilled neuroscientist; her mother, Dr. Joy Saini, a urogynecologist; her brother, Jared Groff, a Swarthmore College graduate working as a paralegal; Alexia Couyutas Duarte, Jared’s partner and a fellow Swarthmore graduate, who was preparing to attend Harvard Law School; and Karenna’s boyfriend, James Santoro, also an MIT graduate, according to a family statement on Sunday.
“They were a remarkable family,” expressed James’ father, John Santoro. “The world lost a group of people who had so much potential for doing good if given the chance. We are deeply saddened,” he added.
Karenna and James met while studying at MIT, with Karenna being an All-American soccer athlete studying biomedical engineering and James majoring in math while playing lacrosse. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she co-founded openPPE to develop innovative masks for frontline workers. Her contributions both on and off the field earned her the esteemed NCAA woman of the year award. “This award reflects the unwavering support and friendship I received from my MIT women’s soccer family,” she said in an interview.
Post-graduation, the pair relocated to Manhattan; Karenna began medical school at New York University while James worked as an investment associate for a hedge fund.
Dr. Joy Saini, born in India, was an expert pelvic surgeon and founded Boston Pelvic Health and Wellness. She and Michael Groff, an accomplished neurosurgeon and seasoned pilot, met during their medical training at the University of Pittsburgh, as noted in the family statement.
On the morning of the incident, they departed from Westchester County Airport in White Plains, New York, with intentions to land at Columbia County Airport before the flight ended tragically around 10 miles south of their intended destination. The crash left the plane severely damaged in a muddy farm field, described as “compressed, buckled and embedded in the terrain” by Inman.
The pilot operated under instrument flight rules, not visual flight rules, but it remains too soon to conclude whether weather conditions impaired visibility, raising questions about possible crash factors.
NTSB reports the plane had undergone a sale a year prior, receiving cockpit upgrades aligned with FAA standards.
Investigations at the site are anticipated to last approximately a week, with the complete accident report potentially taking up to two years for finalization, Inman indicated.
Meanwhile, funeral preparations are being organized, conveyed John Santoro.
“Our time with James was filled with happiness, and his joy and love will continue to resonate throughout our lifetimes,” he reflected.