Former College Football Star Karenna Groff and Family Killed in Private Plane Crash in New York | US News
A former standout college football player has tragically passed away along with several family members in a private plane crash in New York state.
The twin-engine Mitsubishi MU-2B went down shortly after noon on Saturday in a muddy field in Copake, close to the Massachusetts border, resulting in the deaths of all six individuals aboard.
Among the deceased was Karenna Groff, a former football player at MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), who was honored as the 2022 NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) Woman of the Year.
Also among the victims were her father, Dr. Michael Groff, a neuroscientist; her mother, Dr. Joy Saini, a urogynecologist; and her brother, Jared Groff, who worked as a paralegal.
Former college football player Karenna Groff. File pic: AP
Karenna Groff’s boyfriend, James Santoro, and Jared Groff’s partner, Alexia Couyutas Duarte, also lost their lives in the crash.
Mr. Santoro’s father, John Santoro, remarked: “The 25 years we had with James were the best years of our lives… and the joy and love he brought us will be enough to last a lifetime.”
He referred to Karenna Groff and her family as “a wonderful family.”
“The world lost a lot of very good people who were destined to do great things if given the chance. We’re all profoundly devastated,” he continued.
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The group boarded Michael Groff’s private plane at Westchester County Airport in White Plains, a suburb of New York City, on Saturday morning, intending to fly to Columbia County Airport.
However, the aircraft crashed approximately 10 miles south and was found “compressed, buckled and embedded in the terrain,” stated Todd Inman, an official from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
Shortly before the crash, the pilot had communicated with air traffic control at Columbia County Airport, indicating he had missed the initial approach and requested a revised approach plan.
Investigators have secured video footage capturing the final moments of the flight, which “appears to show the aircraft intact and descending at a high rate before impact,” he added.
A comprehensive accident report may take between 12 and 24 months to finalize.
This incident occurs shortly after a tragic accident involving a family of five Spanish tourists, including three children, who lost their lives in a helicopter crash in the Hudson River on Thursday.
