Six killed in New York plane crash, including former NCAA woman of the year

COPAKE, N.Y. — A private plane that crashed in upstate New York on Saturday was carrying a close-knit family of physicians and distinguished student athletes, bound for a trip to the Catskills to mark a 25th birthday and the Passover holiday.

The twin-engine aircraft, a Mitsubishi MU-2B, went down shortly after noon Saturday in a muddy field in Copake, N.Y., near the Massachusetts line, killing all six people aboard, according to authorities and a family member who spoke to the Associated Press.

The victims included Karenna Groff, a former MIT soccer player and NCAA woman of the year; her father, neuroscientist Dr. Michael Groff; her mother, urogynecologist Dr. Joy Saini, and Karenna Groff’s boyfriend, James Santoro, another recent MIT graduate, according to James’ father, John Santoro. Karenna Groff’s brother and his girlfriend were also believed to be aboard, Santoro said.

“They were a wonderful family,” Santoro said. “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 met Groff as a freshman studying at MIT. Groff, who grew up in Weston, Mass., 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 emergency, 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 her accomplishments on and off the field.

“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, Conn.

On Saturday morning, they traveled to an airport in White Plains, a suburb of New York City, where they boarded Michael Groff’s private plane, according to Santoro.

They were set to land at the Columbia County Airport, but crashed roughly 20 miles to the south.

“It’s in the middle of a field and it’s pretty muddy, so accessibility is difficult,” Columbia County Undersheriff Jacqueline Salvatore said at a news conference Saturday.

The National Transportation Safety Board has begun an investigation and is expected to provide an update Sunday evening. Funeral arrangements were underway, John 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.”

Offenhartz writes for the Associated Press.