Karenna Groff, 2022 NCAA Woman Of The Year, Among 6 Killed In New York Plane Crash

All six people aboard the plane were killed in the crash, including Groff; her parents, Dr. Michael Groff and Dr. Joy Saini; her brother, Jared Groff; his partner, Alexia Couyutas Duarte; and her boyfriend, James Santoro, according to USA Today and The Associated Press.

“They were a wonderful family,” James’ father, John Santoro, told AP. “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.”

When did the plane crash?

The group had boarded a Mitsubishi MU-2B plane en route to Columbia County Airport when it crashed in a field near Copake around 12:15 p.m. on Saturday, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. They were headed to the Catskills for a birthday celebration and the Passover holiday.

‘The radar indicated a low altitude alert’

Shortly before the crash, the pilot told air traffic control at Columbia County Airport that he missed the initial approach and requested a new plan for approach, according to the National Transportation Safety Board and AP.

“During the approach at Columbia County Airport, the pilot reported a missed approach,” NTSB investigator Albert Nixon said at a news conference on Sunday, according to News 10. He added that the pilot requested vectors to try another approach. “As he was being vectored, the radar indicated a low altitude alert,” he said.

NTSB reported that the aircraft was “compressed, buckled and embedded into the terrain” following impact, per News 10. The agency also confirmed a video of the final moments before the crash and will review it during the investigation.

“[The video] appears to show that the aircraft was intact and crashed at a high rate of descent into the ground,” NTSB board member Todd Inman said, per News 10.

Who was Karenna Groff?

According to Bleacher Report, Groff played five seasons at MIT, appearing in 94 games for the Engineers. She recorded 50 goals and 28 assists, earning first-team honors in the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference three times.

She also made an impact off the field. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Groff co-founded openPPE, which helped to create more efficient masks for essential workers, per the outlet. She was later named the 2022 NCAA Woman of the Year for her contributions on and off the field. After graduating from MIT with a bachelor’s degree in biological engineering, she enrolled in medical school at New York University.

The NTSB is currently investigating Saturday’s crash, and a preliminary report will be available within 30 days. However, a complete investigative report could take up to two years, per News 10.