The individuals who were in a private plane crash in New York have been officially named.
The incident occurred on Saturday, April 12, when a private twin-engine Mitsubishi MU-2B took off from Westchester County Airport in White Plains, heading towards Columbia County Airport.
Those on board included urogynecologist Dr. Joy Saini, her partner neuroscientist Dr. Michael Groff, according to Associated Press reports.
Joining them were Dr. Saini and Dr. Groff’s daughter, Karenna Groff, a former MIT soccer player and the 2022 NCAA Woman of the Year. She was accompanied by her boyfriend, James Santoro, a recent MIT graduate, as well as her brother Jared Groff, a 2022 Swarthmore College graduate and paralegal. Jared was joined by his partner, Alexia Couyutas Duarte, a Swarthmore graduate who intended to attend Harvard Law School in the fall.
They were reportedly on a trip to the Catskills to celebrate a birthday and Passover holiday.
The Groff, Santoro, and Duarte families released a statement saying: “We are devastated by the loss of our beloved family members. We will remember them as the six brilliant, dynamic, and loving people that they were.”
James’s father, John Santoro, expressed to the Associated Press: “They were a wonderful family. 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.”
Michael’s family shared with the Times Union that he was “an experienced pilot, who fell in love with flying after being taught by his father at the age of sixteen.”
In a statement, Rochester Regional Health CEO Richard Davis remarked: “Dr. Groff was a highly respected neurosurgeon and physician leader, known for his clinical excellence, compassionate care and unwavering commitment to advancing the field of neuroscience.”
The investigation into the crash is ongoing.
NTSB investigator Albert Nixon stated at a news conference that the plane’s pilot missed an approach at the destination airport and asked for instructions to make another attempt.
Despite multiple attempts by the air traffic controller to inform the pilot of a low altitude alert, they were not successful in communicating this information.
Video evidence of the crash suggests the aircraft was intact and descended rapidly before impacting the ground at approximately 12:06 p.m.
Inman noted: “In regard to visibility, weather will be one of many different factors we will examine.”
NTSB investigators are expected to remain on site for about a week, with a preliminary report anticipated in about 30 days, and a complete investigative report could take 12 to 24 months.
If you are dealing with the loss of a loved one and need support, reach out to GrieveWell at (734) 975-0238, or email [email protected].