On April 12, 2025, a tragic plane crash in Copake, New York, claimed the lives of six individuals, including Karenna Groff, the 2022 NCAA Woman of the Year and a former standout athlete at MIT. The group was en route to the Catskills to celebrate Karenna’s 25th birthday and the Passover holiday
The victims were:
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Karenna Groff, 25, a biomedical engineering graduate from MIT, All-American soccer player, and first-year medical student at NYU.
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Dr. Michael Groff, her father, a neurosurgeon and experienced pilot
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Dr. Joy Saini, her mother, a urogynecologist.
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Jared Groff, her brother
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Alexia Couyutas Duarte, Jared’s partner
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James Santoro, Karenna’s partner and fellow MIT graduate
The aircraft, a Mitsubishi MU-2B, crashed in a muddy field shortly after noon. Dr. Michael Groff, who was piloting the plane, had requested a revised approach and was warned about low altitude but did not send a distress signal before the crash.
Karenna Groff was celebrated for her academic and athletic achievements. She was an All-American soccer player at MIT, where she also played basketball, worked as an EMT, and conducted research. Her dedication to service and excellence earned her the NCAA Woman of the Year award in 2022. 
James Santoro, her partner, was also an MIT graduate and worked at a hedge fund in New York City. The couple had plans to get engaged later this year.
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash, a process that may take up to two years to complete.
This tragedy has deeply affected the MIT community and all who knew the Groff family. They are remembered as individuals who were poised to make significant contributions to society. John Santoro, James’s father, expressed profound grief, stating, “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.”
