Hearts Broken as Top Doctors and Brilliant MIT Athletes Perish in Plane Crash

Plane Crash Claims Lives of Esteemed Doctors and Promising MIT Athletes in Heartbreaking Family Tragedy

A devastating plane crash in upstate New York has claimed the lives of six beloved family members — a group of distinguished doctors and bright MIT student-athletes — leaving a wave of grief across the nation.

The tight-knit family was aboard a Mitsubishi MU-2B twin-engine aircraft en route to the Catskills to celebrate a birthday and the Passover holiday when the plane went down in a muddy field near Copake on Saturday afternoon. There were no survivors.

The victims included 2022 NCAA Woman of the Year and former MIT soccer star Karenna Groff, her boyfriend and fellow MIT graduate James Santoro, renowned neurosurgeon Dr. Michael Groff, and urogynecologist Dr. Joy Saini, along with two other family members.

This tragedy marks yet another blow in what has been a string of deadly aviation incidents across the U.S. in 2025. Just days before, a helicopter crash in New York City claimed six lives, and a separate small plane crash near Boca Raton, Florida, killed three.

According to the NTSB, the pilot of the MU-2B had radioed in a missed approach to Columbia County Airport and was awaiting new instructions when communication was lost. Air traffic controllers attempted to warn the aircraft three times about its dangerously low altitude, but received no response. Investigators later confirmed video footage shows the aircraft intact before making a steep, fatal descent.

Despite treacherous terrain making recovery efforts difficult, authorities confirmed that the plane was airworthy and the pilot experienced. Still, questions remain as investigators continue their work.

For the families left behind, the heartbreak is immeasurable.

“They were a wonderful family,” said John Santoro, father of James. “The world lost a lot of very good people who were going to do a lot of good for the world. We’re all personally devastated.”

Karenna Groff and James Santoro first met as freshmen at MIT. Groff, a standout All-American soccer player and biomedical engineering major from Weston, Massachusetts, was a passionate advocate for healthcare innovation — even co-founding openPPE during the COVID-19 pandemic. Her leadership and impact earned her the NCAA’s highest honor and an invitation to throw the first pitch at Fenway Park in 2023.

James, a math major and lacrosse player from New Jersey, had recently begun his professional journey in Manhattan, where he and Karenna had moved after graduation. She was continuing her medical studies at NYU, while James joined an investment firm.

“The 25 years we had with James were the best years of our lives,” his father shared. “And the joy and love he brought us will be enough to last a lifetime.”

As the community mourns this extraordinary loss, the memory of these six remarkable lives — full of promise, compassion, and brilliance — will endure.