NCAA Woman of the Year, Five Others Die in High-Speed New York Plane Crash [WATCH]

Authorities have released the identities of six individuals who were killed in a plane crash Saturday afternoon in Copake, New York. Among the victims was 2022 NCAA Woman of the Year Karenna Groff, a former standout soccer player at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

As reported by Fox News, the crash occurred at approximately 12:15 p.m. local time when a Mitsubishi MU-2B aircraft, en route to Columbia County Airport in Hudson, went down in a muddy field about ten miles south of its destination.

Karenna Groff, a former MIT soccer player named the 2022 NCAA woman of the year, died Saturday along with six other people including members of her family in a plane crash in upstate New York.

More: https://t.co/ILriHy659l pic.twitter.com/aqP0cJxeU8

— ESPN (@espn) April 14, 2025

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The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed that the aircraft had departed earlier that morning from Westchester County Airport in White Plains.

According to the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the pilot contacted air traffic control shortly before the crash, indicating that he had missed his initial approach and was requesting a second attempt.

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Controllers responded with new approach coordinates and issued a low altitude alert three times, but there was no further communication from the aircraft.

Six dead in NY plane crash, including former MIT athlete Karenna Groff, her parents, brother, and partners. The private plane crashed in a field Saturday. NTSB says the aircraft hit the ground at high descent. Investigation ongoing. pic.twitter.com/zHp8kbP1k0

— NTC Report (@NTC_Report) April 14, 2025

All six occupants of the plane died in the crash. In addition to Groff, the victims included her parents, Dr. Michael Groff and Dr. Joy Saini, her brother Jared Groff, his partner Alexia Couyutas Duarte, and Karenna’s boyfriend, James Santoro.

The aircraft was privately owned by Michael Groff.

We are heartbroken to share the tragic news of the sudden passing of Dr. Michael Groff, his wife Dr. Joy Saini, their daughter Karenna, their son Jared, and two close family friends in a plane crash near Copake, New York.

A dedicated neurosurgeon, educator, and leader, Mike… pic.twitter.com/maM3uRQ0ZB

— AANS/CNS Spine Section (@spinesection) April 14, 2025

Karenna Groff had been attending medical school at New York University at the time of her death. Her brother, Jared, and his partner also had close family ties.

James Santoro’s father, John Santoro, told the Associated Press that the Groff family was “wonderful” and expressed deep sorrow over the loss.

“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.”

“Their suffering is over. Ours has just begun.” Father of recent MIT grad John Santoro says son & girlfriend Karenna Groff, also a recent MIT grad, killed in private plane crash in upstate New York. Groff’s parents, doctors from Weston, also killed in crash #Boston25 pic.twitter.com/FqCe0kdtGA

— Drew Karedes (@DrewKaredes) April 14, 2025

NTSB investigator Todd Inman said the plane was found “compressed, buckled, and embedded in the terrain.” Inman also confirmed that investigators had obtained video footage showing the aircraft was intact before it crashed at a high rate of descent.

The aircraft had recently been upgraded with a modern cockpit and FAA-certified instrumentation. It was flying under instrument flight rules (IFR), not visual flight rules, at the time of the incident.

The NTSB stated that a full investigation into the cause of the crash is underway and could take up to 24 months to complete.

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