Six individuals, including a celebrated former collegiate athlete, perished Saturday in a devastating plane crash in New York State.
The tragedy occurred around 12:15 p.m. near Copake, approximately ten miles south of Columbia County Airport in Hudson, when the Mitsubishi MU-2B aircraft plummeted into an open field. The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed the loss of all six lives aboard. Many of those on board shared familial ties.
Among the deceased was Karenna Groff, a distinguished former Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) soccer player and the 2022 NCAA Woman of the Year recipient. She was accompanied by her parents, Dr. Michael Groff and Dr. Joy Saini, both accomplished professionals. At the time of the crash, Ms. Groff was pursuing medical studies at New York University.
The passenger manifest also included Karenna Groff’s brother, Jared Groff, along with his partner, Alexia Couyutas Duarte. James Santoro, Ms. Groff’s boyfriend, was also on board and did not survive the incident.
According to flight records, the aircraft departed Westchester County Airport earlier that morning.
Prior to the crash, the pilot contacted Columbia County Airport’s air traffic control, reporting a missed approach and requesting revised guidance. Despite attempts by controllers to provide updated coordinates and issue three low-altitude warnings—all of which went unanswered—the plane continued its descent.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is currently investigating the cause of the crash, a process expected to take up to 24 months.
“Everything is on the table,” stated officials regarding the ongoing investigation.
Describing the scene, NTSB official Todd Inman indicated that the aircraft was found “compressed, buckled and embedded in the terrain.” Video footage obtained by authorities suggests the plane remained structurally intact until impact, plummeting towards the ground at a considerable speed.
The aircraft’s cockpit featured recently installed technology certified by the FAA. The pilot was operating under instrument flight rules rather than visual flight rules at the time of the incident.
James Santoro’s father, John Santoro, spoke to The Associated Press, expressing profound grief and characterizing the Groff family as “wonderful people.”
“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,” he lamented. “We’re all personally devastated.”
The investigation remains ongoing, with authorities diligently working to determine the factors contributing to this tragic event.
