NEW YORK (AP) — A private plane that crashed in upstate New York over the weekend was carrying six members of a close-knit family of physicians and distinguished student-athletes on a trip to the Catskills for a birthday celebration and the Passover holiday.
The twin-engine Mitsubishi MU-2B went down shortly after noon Saturday in a muddy field in Copake, New York, near the Massachusetts line, killing everyone on board, according to authorities and a family member who spoke to The Associated Press.
Among the victims were Karenna Groff, a former MIT soccer player named the 2022 NCAA woman of the year who was celebrating her 25th birthday; her father, a neuroscientist, Dr. Michael Groff; her mother, Dr. Joy Saini, a urogynecologist; her brother, Jared Groff, a 2022 graduate of Swarthmore College who worked as a paralegal; Alexia Couyutas Duarte, Jared Groff's partner who also graduated Swarthmore and planned to attend Harvard Law School this fall; and Karenna Groff's boyfriend, James Santoro, another recent MIT graduate, according to a family statement Sunday. In a statement from Swarthmore College, the school noted Michael Groff was a 1988 graduate.
“They were a wonderful family,” James' father, John Santoro, told AP. “The world lost a lot of very good people who were going to do a lot of good for the world if they had the opportunity. We’re all personally devastated.”
Santoro said his son first met Karenna Groff as a freshman studying at MIT. Groff, who grew up in Weston, Massachusetts, was an All-American soccer player studying biomedical engineering. Santoro, a math major from New Jersey, played lacrosse for the school.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Karenna Groff co-founded openPPE, helping to create a new design of masks for essential workers. In 2023, she received the prestigious NCAA Woman of the Year award for the previous year for her on- and off-field accomplishments.
“Really, this recognition is a testament to my MIT women’s soccer family and all of the guidance, support, and friendship they have provided for me over the years,” she said in an interview at the time.
After graduating, Santoro and Groff moved to Manhattan, where Groff enrolled in medical school at New York University and Santoro worked as an investment associate for Silver Point, a hedge fund based in Greenwich, Connecticut.
India-born Saini was an accomplished pelvic surgeon and the founder of Boston Pelvic Health and Wellness, according to the family statement. She trained in medicine at the University of Pittsburgh, where she met Michael Groff, who became a distinguished neurosurgeon and experienced pilot, the statement said.
On Saturday morning, they all headed to Westchester County Airport in White Plains, a suburb of New York City, where they boarded Michael Groff's private plane, according to John Santoro.
They were set to land at Columbia County Airport but crashed roughly 10 miles (16 kilometers) to the south. The plane was “compressed, buckled and embedded in the terrain” of a muddy agricultural field, Inman said.
At a briefing on Monday, Todd Inman, an official with the National Transportation Safety Board, said the overcast conditions may have impacted the pilot's visibility, though the exact cause of the crash remains unknown. The initial investigation had not turned up any issues with the aircraft, a Mitsubishi MU-2B, Inman said.
The plane had been sold a year ago and had an upgraded cockpit with newer technology that was certified to Federal Aviation Administration standards, according to the NTSB.
The tragedy has prompted an outpouring of grief and raised questions about the cause of the crash. Friends of Michael Groff described him as an experienced pilot who started flying as a teenager and often made the trip to his sister’s country house in upstate New York.
In October, he completed an additional safety course required to fly the high-performance plane, officials said.
“Michael and Joy were wonderful, warm parents and distinguished physicians who treasured their children,” said Jonathan Becker, a family friend.
Authorities said they expected to fully extract the wreckage of the air craft by Tuesday night. A preliminary report on the causes of the crash will be released within 30 days.
Funeral arrangements were underway, Santoro said.
“The 25 years we had with James were the best years of our lives,” he added, “and the joy and love he brought us will be enough to last a lifetime.”
According to Swarthmore College, Michael and Joy’s youngest daughter, Anika, was not on the plane. She was recently admitted to Swarthmore’s class of 2029.
“In the face of such devastating news, we recognize and celebrate all that these extraordinary individuals meant to us, as well as support those who knew, mentored, and loved them. And they were extraordinary,” the college said, adding it will “celebrate their lives when and in ways that their families feel are most meaningful.”
“On behalf of everyone at Swarthmore, our hearts go out to the families and friends of those we lost on Saturday, and to everyone affected by their tragic passing. Please join us in sending them peace and light.”