Fatal plane crash in New York claims lives of MIT stars and renowned doctors
Plane crash kills 6 from MIT and medical family in New York (Photo: Getty Images)
A private plane crash in upstate New York has taken the lives of six people — all members of a prominent family of physicians and accomplished student-athletes, according to AP News.
The twin-engine Mitsubishi MU-2B went down shortly after noon on Saturday in a muddy field in Copake, near the Massachusetts border.
Everyone on board was killed. The family was en route to the Catskills for a birthday celebration and the Passover holiday.
Among the victims were Karenna Groff, the 2022 NCAA Woman of the Year and a standout MIT soccer player, and her partner James Santoro, a former lacrosse player and investment associate.
Groff was studying medicine at NYU and co-founded the openPPE initiative to develop protective masks for essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"This recognition is truly a testament to my MIT women’s soccer family and all the support, guidance, and friendship they’ve given me over the years," she said in a past interview.
No distress signal before deadly descent
The plane’s pilot, Michael Groff — a seasoned neurosurgeon and certified aviator — contacted air traffic control moments before the crash, reporting a missed approach and requesting a new one.
However, according to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), he did not respond to three subsequent low-altitude alerts, and no distress call was ever made.
Officials say final video footage shows the aircraft was intact but descending rapidly before impact. The plane had been upgraded and certified to FAA standards, but investigators have not yet determined whether weather conditions played a role.
"They were a wonderful family," said James' father, John Santoro. "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."
Funeral arrangements are underway, and a full investigation into the crash is ongoing.
This tragedy comes just days after another fatal air accident in New York, where a tourist helicopter crashed into the Hudson River, killing Siemens executive Agustín Escobar, his wife, and their three young children.
