New details have emerged about the New York private jet crash that killed a family of doctors, including the final radio communication from the pilot.
On Saturday (April 12), a Mitsubishi MU-2B had departed from White Plains, New York, and was attempting to land at Columbia County Airport near the Massachusetts border when it crashed at around midday.
The six victims were identified as Karenna Groff, 2022 NCAA Woman of the Year and former MIT soccer star; her parents, Dr. Michael Groff and Dr. Joy Saini; her brother, Jared Groff; his partner, Alexia Couyutas Duarte; and Karenna’s partner, James Santoro.
The family had been en route to the Catskills for a birthday and Passover celebration when tragedy struck.
The aircraft was found “compressed, buckled and embedded in the terrain” of an agricultural field near Craryville, NY, according to BBC News.
A final communication with air traffic control revealed the pilot had requested a second landing attempt. Controllers issued a “low altitude alert” before losing all contact, The New York Post reported.
No distress call was received, and the NTSB said there were multiple failed attempts to reach the pilot before the plane went down.
The New York Times reported that Dr. Michael Groff, an experienced pilot, renowned neuroscientist, and associate professor at Harvard Medical School, was the person flying the aircraft - though this has not been officially confirmed by investigators or family.
The NTSB stated the plane had a modernized cockpit with updated avionics certified to FAA standards.
Weather conditions and reduced visibility have not been ruled out, but investigators say it’s too early to determine a cause. A final report is expected in 12 to 24 months.
Karenna, who met James at MIT, was a medical student at NYU and beloved by faculty and classmates alike.
“Karenna demonstrated exceptional skill and unwavering passion towards the care of patients and the mission of our institution,” an NYU spokesperson said. “We will remember her for her warmth, her grace, her kindness, her outstanding accomplishments, and the pure joy she brought to our community.”
Michael and Joy, both respected doctors, were remembered alongside their children and their partners as brilliant and compassionate people who had promising futures.
Jared Groff worked as a paralegal, and his partner, Alexia, was preparing to begin studies at Harvard Law School. James, who also graduated from MIT, worked in finance.
“They were a wonderful family,” said James’s father, John Santoro. “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.”
Surviving family members echoed that grief in a joint statement: “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.”
Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this tragedy.