Former MIT soccer player Karenna Groff died in a plane crash on Saturday (12) involving a private jet. Five other family members also died in the crash.
Karenna Groff died following the crash of a private aircraft in New York on Saturday (12). Her parents, boyfriend, brother, and sister-in-law were also on board. There were no survivors.
According to relatives of the three families involved, they were on their way to Columbia County Airport to celebrate a birthday.
“We are devastated by the loss of our beloved family members. We will remember them as the six brilliant, dynamic, and loving people they were,” they wrote.
Michael Groff, a neuroscientist and Karenna’s father, was piloting the Mitsubishi MU-2B twin-engine aircraft. On board were his wife, urogynecologist Joy Saini, and his other son, Jared Groff.
Also on the plane were James Santoro, Karenna’s boyfriend, and Alexia Couyutas Duarte, Jared’s girlfriend.
According to Albert Nixon, an investigator from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the pilot had missed the approach to the destination airport and requested instructions for another attempt.
Air traffic control radar indicated that the aircraft was flying at a low altitude. The controller was unable to warn the pilot after three unsuccessful attempts.
The investigation is expected to continue for 30 days for a preliminary report, while the final report may take one to two years to complete.
Karenna Groff was a medical student and a former soccer player for the MIT team.
Photos: Facebook Placantonakis Lab Instagram @mitathletics. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
