A tragic small plane crash in upstate New York has claimed the lives of six people, including Karenna Groff, the 2022 NCAA Woman of the Year and a standout soccer player from MIT.
The Mitsubishi MU-2B aircraft went down just after 12:15 p.m. on Saturday, April 12, in a muddy field near Two Town Road in Copake, about 20 miles southeast of its intended destination at Columbia County Airport. No structures were hit in the crash, officials confirmed.
All six people on board were killed. According to a family statement reported by The New York Times and The Associated Press, the victims included Dr. Michael Groff and Dr. Joy Saini, Karenna’s parents; her brother Jared Groff; his partner Alexia Couyutas Duarte; and Karenna’s boyfriend James Santoro.
The family was traveling for a birthday celebration and the Passover holiday.
Karenna Groff, 23, had already made a lasting impact far beyond the soccer field. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she co-founded openPPE, helping develop and distribute improved protective masks for frontline workers.
“Karenna was a bright light in everything she touched,” said a former MIT teammate. “She led with purpose, on and off the field.”
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Video evidence reviewed by investigators showed the plane was intact before its rapid, steep descent into the ground, according to Todd Inman of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The cause of the crash is still under investigation by the NTSB and FAA, with assistance from the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office.
Undersheriff Jacqueline Salvatore noted that the muddy terrain made access to the crash site difficult, and full results of the investigation may take days or weeks.
“Our mission is to understand not just what happened, but why,” Inman said, vowing that the findings will help prevent future tragedies.
