• News
  • Film and TV
  • Music
  • Tech
  • Features
  • Celebrity
  • Politics
  • Weird
  • Community
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
TikTok
YouTube
Submit Your Content
Chilling new details emerge in case of plane crash that killed family of doctors and student athletes onboard

Home> News> US News

Updated 16:39 10 May 2025 GMT+1Published 09:33 10 May 2025 GMT+1

Chilling new details emerge in case of plane crash that killed family of doctors and student athletes onboard

Dr Michael Groff was piloting the flight which crashed on April 12

Joe Yates

Joe Yates

An investigation into the fatal private plane crash that claimed the lives of six people has revealed the pilot's final moments.

A family of doctors and student athletes, alongside their partners, died after their aircraft collided with a muddy field in Copake, close to the Massachusetts border, in upstate New York, shortly after 12pm Eastern Time, on April 12.

The private plane was owned by Dr Michael Groff, a neuroscientist who was piloting the flight at the time, alongside his wife Dr Joy Saini, a urogynecologist, who was also on board.

Advert

Their daughter, former MIT soccer player Karenna Groff - who was named the 2022 NCAA Woman of the Year - had accompanied them on the flight alongside her boyfriend, James Santoro, another recent MIT graduate.

Her brother Jared Groff, a 2022 graduate of Swarthmore College who worked as a paralegal, joined them alongside his partner, Alexia Couyutas Duarte - who graduated from Swarthmore and planned to attend Harvard Law School this fall.

The family were reportedly going on a trip to the Catskills for a birthday celebration, which coincided with the Passover holiday.

Now, chilling new details have revealed what happened moments before the collision took place.

Advert

Their private aircraft - a Mitsubishi MU-2B-40 - departed Westchester County Airport in White Plains, a suburb of New York, at around 11.34am, a preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board states.

It headed on a 'northeast to northern track' to its planned destination of Columbia County Airport in Hudson.

According to the report, at around 11.57am, Dr Groff informed air traffic control that he had missed his slot to the runway, and the controller advised on new instructions for landing - which he acknowledged shortly after 12pm.

Karenna Groff and her boyfriend James Santoro were on board the plane (John Santoro/NBC Boston)
Karenna Groff and her boyfriend James Santoro were on board the plane (John Santoro/NBC Boston)

Advert

Around a minute later, a controller issued a warning to Dr Groff stating that his plane was flying too low, but he never responded.

The report adds: "Despite the controller’s multiple attempts, no further radio transmissions were received from the pilot. About 1203:55, the controller advised the pilot that radar contact was lost."

The plane crashed roughly 10 miles south of the airport, and in a muddy snow-covered field, although the report indicates that there were no significant weather warnings issued for the area at the time.

The report did not provide an exact cause of the crash and noted that the 'information is preliminary and subject to change'.

Advert

An approved release by the Groff, Santoro and Duarte families reads: "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."

Dr Joy Saini was one of those onboard (Boston Pelvic Health)
Dr Joy Saini was one of those onboard (Boston Pelvic Health)

James' father, John Santoro, told 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."

Advert

Meanwhile, Dr Goff's family said, as quoted by Times Union, 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 said: "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."

If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence, contact GrieveWell on (734) 975-0238, or email [email protected].

Featured Image Credit: Fox Weather/WRGB

Topics: New York, US News, Travel

Joe Yates
Joe Yates

Joe is a journalist for UNILAD, who particularly enjoys writing about crime. He has worked in journalism for five years, and has covered everything from murder trials to celeb news.

X

@JMYjourno

Advert

Advert

Advert

  • Family of doctors and student athletes confirmed to be amongst those killed in plane crash
  • Everything we know after family of doctors and student athletes confirmed to be among those killed in plane crash
  • Father speaks out in heartbreaking statement after student athlete is killed in plane crash with girlfriend's family
  • Brother of woman killed in NYC helicopter crash alongside family and pilot speaks out in heartbreaking statement

Choose your content:

a minute ago
an hour ago
2 hours ago
  • a minute ago

    Sophie Turner details moment she unintentionally caused celebrity couple to break off engagement

    Turner admitted that a misunderstanding led to the couple breaking up

    Celebrity
  • an hour ago

    Tesla owner who's driven more than 300,000 miles reveals the shocking impact it’s had on battery health

    Jason McKnight crunched the numbers on his Tesla Model Y

    Technology
  • an hour ago

    Pilot explains the bizarre reason why planes feel like they're 'sinking' during take-off

    American Airlines pilot Captain Steve explained the phenomenon during a recent Q&A

    News
  • 2 hours ago

    Woman shares the change in bathroom habits she noticed before being diagnosed with stage four cancer

    Devon opened up about her initial suspicions

    News