A devastating plane crash in upstate New York claimed the lives of six individuals, including a family of accomplished doctors and student athletes, over the weekend. The Groff family, consisting of neuroscientist Michael Groff, urologist Joy Saini, their daughter Karenna, an MIT graduate, and her boyfriend James Sontoro, were among those who perished in the accident. The crash occurred in a muddy field in Copake, near the Massachusetts border, as confirmed by Sontoro’s father.
Also among the victims were Jared Groff, son of the Groff couple, and his partner Alexia Couyutas Duarte. The Groff family’s third child, Anika, was not aboard the ill-fated Mitsubishi MU-2B private plane. The family was en route to the Catskills for a birthday and Passover celebration when the tragedy occurred.
John Sontoro, father of James, expressed his grief over the loss of the Groff family, describing them as “wonderful” and stating that the world had lost individuals who could have made significant contributions had they been given the chance. James Sontoro, an MIT graduate like his girlfriend Karenna, worked in the finance sector. Karenna was pursuing her medical studies at New York University and had been recognized as the NCAA woman of the year in 2022 for her soccer and academic accomplishments at MIT.
Michael Groff held an associate professorship at Harvard Medical School and served as the executive director of neuroscience at Rochester Regional Health. He was also an experienced pilot. The family released a statement expressing their devastation and remembering the victims as “brilliant, dynamic, and loving people.”
The flight had departed from a White Plains airport on Saturday morning, with an expected arrival at the Columbia County Airport around noon. However, the pilot reported missing their approach and requested directions for a second attempt. Shortly after, air traffic controllers received a “low altitude alert” and subsequently lost all contact with the aircraft. The plane crashed moments later, as reported by National Transportation Safety Board investigator Albert Nixon. The federal agency is continuing its investigation into the accident.