New Details Revealed About Final Moments of Upstate New York Plane Crash That Killed Former College Soccer Star and Family
The report states that the Mitsubishi MU-2B-40 plane, flown by Michael Groff, had stopped responding to air traffic controllers minutes before it crashed
Six people were killed, including Groff, his wife Joy Saini, his daughter Karenna Groff and her boyfriend James Santoro, his son Jared and Jared's girlfriend Alexia Couyutas DuarteInvestigators have released new details about the final moments of a plane crash in upstate New York that killed a family from Massachusetts.
According to a report from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) published on Friday, May 9, Michael Groff — the father and neurosurgeon who was at the controls of the family's small plane before it crashed in the Catskill Mountains last month — had stopped communication with air traffic control just moments before the fatal incident.
In the report, officials said that Michael's Mitsubishi MU-2B-40 plane left Westchester County Airport in White Plains, N.Y., on the morning of Saturday, April 12, at around 11:30 a.m. local time, and Michael headed north to Columbia County Airport in Hudson, N.Y.
The plane had departed the Boston area earlier that morning, and Michael picked up his daughter Karenna Groff, who was named the NCAA Woman of the Year in 2022, as well as her partner James Santoro, in New York to celebrate Karenna's 25th birthday in the Catskills.
Also onboard the plane were Michael's wife and urogynecologist Joy Saini, Karenna's brother Jared, and Jared's partner Alexia Couyutas Duarte. All six people died in the crash, the report confirmed.
At 11:57 a.m., Michael alerted air traffic control that he had missed the initial approach to the runway at Columbia County Airport. Controllers then gave him new landing instructions, and he responded just after 12 p.m., per the report.
About one minute later, the controller told Michael that the plane was flying too low, and he did not answer. The plane disappeared from radar visibility by 12:03 p.m., and eventually crashed into a snowy area about 10 miles south of the airport.
The NTSB did not confirm the cause of the crash in the report, but said that all of the major machinery was found within 150 feet of the crash site. The report also stated that the weather was overcast at the time of the crash.
Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
"The wreckage was recovered to a secure facility for further examination," the NTSB added, noting that the report is preliminary and an investigation is still ongoing.
Friends and family of the victims have previously spoken out about the tragedy.
'They were a wonderful family,' James' father, John Santoro, told the AP. '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.'
Reflecting on the loss of his son specifically, he added, 'The 25 years we had with James were the best years of our lives, and the joy and love he brought us will be enough to last a lifetime.'
Read the original article on People
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
San Francisco Chronicle
6 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Winning numbers drawn in Saturday's New York Win 4 Midday
The winning numbers in Saturday's drawing of the "New York Win 4 Midday" game were: 0, 0, 8, 9 (zero, zero, eight, nine)
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Yahoo
Growing up, I spent nearly every weekend with my grandmother. She made me see that I am smart and powerful.
Growing up, my sisters and I spent most weekends with our grandparents in Brooklyn. The special time with my grandmother allowed me to learn lessons about love and self-worth. My grandmother's influence continues to shape my relationships today, even after her death. From the age of 6 until 12, I spent every weekend with my grandmother at their apartment in Brooklyn. At the time, my dad was living in Mexico and my mom was dealing with personal issues, so Grandma Mary tried to see me and my two younger sisters as much as possible. Looking back, I now know that the lessons I learned during these special weekends have done so much to shape the person I've become. Our weekends were special I fondly remember my grandparents picking us up every Saturday in their yellow Chevrolet Impala, Frank Sinatra singing on the radio, and the sounds of the East River lapping against the shore as we drove from Manhattan across the Brooklyn Bridge. Our first stop was always the 86th Street Baskin-Robbins ice cream shop, run by my which was run by my uncle at the time. Throughout the weekend I tasted Grandma's love in her homemade blintzes, kosher chicken, and the chocolate pudding that served proudly served in glass, leaf-shaped cups. Whenever anyone asked who this woman was by my side during our walks around the neighborhood, I'd say, "This is my best friend, Mary." And she was. She praised me constantly saying things like, "Leslie, you are such a love, you are my mama shana bubbeleh!" A Yiddish expression meaning beloved, beautiful grandchild. Looking back, I know her adoration helped me develop an enduring sense of self-worth. She also taught me that I was worthy of unconditional love. During the week, I couldn't wait for Saturday morning to come because I knew that for two entire daysI'd get 48 hours of affectionate hugs and hundreds of kisses on my cheeks and forehead. Her 700-square-foot, three-room apartment felt like a palace because I was safe and cherished there, and so were my sisters. She taught me to share my feelings Grandma Mary's lessons about my self-worth have stuck with me into my adulthood. She taught me that I am smart, capable, and powerful. She showed me that if one person loves you unconditionally, it can offset other pains you may be feeing. Finally, she taught me to talk about my feelings, not to keep them locked inside. I credit my grandma for part of why I was able to create a close bond with my husband and two kids. During my first years of marriage and starting a family, I struggled to communicate with my husband. My grandma would ask me, "Do you talk to him? Do you sit down and have coffee, just the two of you, and actually talk?" Even though Mary barely finished the 7th grade, her wisdom was brilliant, and her advice was just what I needed to hear. Grandma Mary is no longer with us, but her influence still guides my family every day. Both of my daughters have deep bonds with their grandparents, aunts, and uncles and I'm seeing how these relationships have solidified their confidence in themselves, just as my grandmother did for me. Read the original article on Business Insider Solve the daily Crossword
Forbes
11 hours ago
- Forbes
Recollections Of My U-2 Flight One Year Later
It's been exactly one year since I took a rare U-2 flight to the edge of space. I wrote about it at the time, of course (link below) - that was the point. It's an honor few civilians and non-pilots ever get. Having had time to digest it now, I've been able to reflect on what happened and what it meant. First, the flight was eight years in the making. When I visited Beale AFB in 2017, the wheels were put in motion. I flew in a T-38 jet, chased the U-2 in a Dodge Charger as it landed and was stuffed into the claustrophobic pressure suit pilots wear for protection against the vacuum of space. Little did I know at the time how much longer it would take to get the actual flight. There were promises and disappointments and postponments and changes of base personnel. The bureacracy got to the point where I never thought the flight would happen. I almost gave up out of frustration, but I also knew from life experience that big things usually take time. One example: It took me 12 years to interview Apollo 11's Neil Armstrong, first man on the moon. But through perseverance and hard work, he finally agreed not long before his death. So when my flight finally was scheduled in stone, I was still skeptical. It was hot in August at Beale, I was told. Didn't I just want to postpone until fall, when the weather was cooler? I really don't care about heat, I told them. Let's just get it done. And so with my contacts at the Pentagon and the public affairs chief at Beale, Charlene Spade, we did. Once I arrived at the base for training, I was excited sure, but still skeptical. The three days of pre-flight training proved more difficult than I had anticipated. Again, I became frustrated, even paranoid. Perhaps this was God's insidious last-minute way of canceling my flight. Looking back now, I realize that wasn't the case. The base personnel were thorough for my own good. A U-2 flight is serious business. When you go above 70,000 feet and something goes wrong with cabin pressurization, you're toast in a few seconds. And then there's the reliability of the plane itself, Cold War-era, and the 'coffin corner' the pilots must negotiate. At the edge of space, the air is so thin that an aircraft must stay within a six-mph window. Go too fast, and the wings fall off of the plane, too slow and the plane stalls. Both are real and deadly scenarios I needed to be prepared for. When finally I was strapped into the cockpit with my claustrophobic Michelin Man space suit and breathing 100 percent pure oxygen, a thousand things went through my mind - fear, excitement, the ability to execute tasks I was given during flight like arming and disarming the ejection seat, taking photos and video, locking and unlocking the canopy, staying hydrated by drinking enough fluid through a straw in my helmet and the rest of it. The flight went off without a glitch, but after two-and-a-half hours in the air, and six hours in the cramped suit, I was exhausted. Thank God for the after-flight debrief, the GoPro camera and what I can actually recall from memory. I suddenly understood what my figure-skating friend, Sasha Cohen, once told me about her Olympic appearances. You have a few short moments to take it all in. But so much is happening so fast, you have little time to enjoy it. Your name is called, then you get out on the ice knowing that the next four minutes determine the rest of your life. You have to focus on your performance, while everything rushes by. Then it's over, and you wait for the judge's scores. Cohen, a little like me, has the aid of television cameras to help her remember it all after the fact. She ultimately took Silver for the U.S. at Torino in 2006, of which she is deservedly proud and has helped change her life. My flight also rushed by. Nothing I had feared went wrong. It has changed my life, too, not to the degree of Cohen's, of course. But I've given Cold War speeches and recalled my unique experience on several podcasts and radio programs. I just wish I could live the flight over, take it in at the time, knowing that all would be okay in the end. I wonder if Cohen feels the same way about her Olympic performance? But I'm also realistic enough to know that that will never happen. It's just my memories and the GoPro film and photos that I will have to cherish. So when people ask if my flight was fun, I'm truthful. No, I say, but it sure was interesting. Probably it's like that for many who experience something unimaginable in their lives, and come out the other end okay. All I can say now is thank you to the U.S. Air Force staff for keeping me safe and allowing me to recount an extraordinary flight for millions of Forbes readers, let them live out my experience vicariously. Frustration, paranoia and fear a year ago for me have turned into satisfaction and gratitude today
