3 Swarthmore College graduates killed in plane crash in Upstate New York
The Brief
On Saturday, April 12, 2024, a plane headed to Columbia County Airport in Hudson, New York, crashed, killing six people.
Among the six victims include three Swarthmore College graduates.
SWARTHMORE, Pa. - The Swarthmore College family is grieving the loss of three graduates after a devastating plane crash occurred in New York Saturday.
Three people the president of the college calls extraordinary.
The backstory
Six people, all from one family, died in the plane that went down in upstate New York on Saturday.
They were on their way to celebrate a birthday and Passover in the Catskills.
The National Transportation Safety Board says on Saturday morning, they all headed to Westchester County Airport where they boarded a private twin-engine plane owned by Michael Groff.
They were set to land at Columbia County Airport but crashed roughly 10 miles to the south.
Everyone on board died, including the pilot Michael Groff and his wife Joy Saini, who were both physicians. Their daughter, Karenna Groff, an MIT soccer player, named the 2022 NCAA Woman of the Year, her partner, James Santoro, along with Jared Groff and his partner, Alexia Duarte.
Michael graduated from Swarthmore College in 1988, Jared graduated in 2022 and Alexia in 2023.
Alexia is also survived by her sister, Ariana Duarte, who attends Swarthmore and was studying abroad when the plane crashed.
What they're saying
"Now, what we can say is weather was at that time what we consider to be deteriorating. And I mentioned the ceiling at the airport being 400 AGL—that's above ground level at 400 feet AGL for that approach at that airport. It would be the minimum for a landing under an IFR instrument flight approach," said J. Todd Inman, a member of the NTSB.
"We verified that this owner and operator, and we have confirmed the owner is the same person as the operator, that this person, this owner and operator went through that training and was fully certified to be on that aircraft and flying it," Inman added.
In a statement, the President of Swarthmore said, "In the face of such devastating news, we recognize and celebrate all that these extraordinary individuals meant to us, as well as support those who knew, mentored, and loved them. And they were extraordinary. On behalf of everyone at Swarthmore, our hearts go out to the families and friends of those we lost on Saturday, and to everyone affected by their tragic passing. Please join us in sending them peace and light."
What's next
The President also says the college will celebrate the lives of those who died in ways that their families feel are most meaningful and will share any public plans when they're available.
In the meantime, the school will have resources available to help students and staff who might need help dealing with this loss.
The Source
The information in this story is from the National Transportation Safety Board and Swarthmore College.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
a day ago
Coast Guard suspends search for plane that crashed off San Diego, killing 6
The Coast Guard suspended the search Tuesday for the wreckage of a small plane that crashed into the ocean shortly after taking off from San Diego, killing all six people aboard. The National Transportation Safety Board said it will continue working to determine why the Cessna 414 crashed Sunday, but it doesn't expect to have any updates on the crash until it publishes its preliminary report about a month from now. With the wreckage still resting under a couple hundred feet of water, the NTSB's investigator isn't even immediately travelling to where the plane crashed about 3 miles (about 5 kilometers) off the coast of Point Loma, a San Diego neighborhood that juts into the Pacific. Authorities have not identified the people who died in the crash. The plane was scheduled to return to Arizona on Sunday — one day after it flew out to San Diego. A natural supplements company called Optimal Health Systems based in Pima, Arizona, said it sold the plane in 2023 to a group of individuals who are part of their small community. Air traffic controllers quickly became concerned about the plane after it failed to climb over 1,000 feet or turn back east after taking off. The pilot reported having trouble climbing and maintaining his heading before repeatedly calling out 'Mayday' before the plane disappeared from radar. This crash came just weeks after a small Cessna crashed into a San Diego neighborhood in foggy weather and killed six people. Those two are just the latest in a string of deadly crashes, mishaps and near misses in aviation this year ever since an airliner collided with an Army helicopter over Washington, D.C., in January, killing 67 people.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Coast Guard suspends search for plane that crashed into the ocean off San Diego and killed 6
The Coast Guard suspended the search Tuesday for the wreckage of a small plane that crashed into the ocean shortly after taking off from San Diego, killing all six people aboard. The National Transportation Safety Board said it will continue working to determine why the Cessna 414 crashed Sunday, but it doesn't expect to have any updates on the crash until it publishes its preliminary report about a month from now. With the wreckage still resting under a couple hundred feet of water, the NTSB's investigator isn't even immediately travelling to where the plane crashed about 3 miles (about 5 kilometers) off the coast of Point Loma, a San Diego neighborhood that juts into the Pacific. Authorities have not identified the people who died in the crash. The plane was scheduled to return to Arizona on Sunday — one day after it flew out to San Diego. A natural supplements company called Optimal Health Systems based in Pima, Arizona, said it sold the plane in 2023 to a group of individuals who are part of their small community. Air traffic controllers quickly became concerned about the plane after it failed to climb over 1,000 feet or turn back east after taking off. The pilot reported having trouble climbing and maintaining his heading before repeatedly calling out 'Mayday' before the plane disappeared from radar. This crash came just weeks after a small Cessna crashed into a San Diego neighborhood in foggy weather and killed six people. Those two are just the latest in a string of deadly crashes, mishaps and near misses in aviation this year ever since an airliner collided with an Army helicopter over Washington, D.C., in January, killing 67 people.
Hamilton Spectator
a day ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Coast Guard suspends search for plane that crashed into the ocean off San Diego and killed 6
The Coast Guard suspended the search Tuesday for the wreckage of a small plane that crashed into the ocean shortly after taking off from San Diego, killing all six people aboard. The National Transportation Safety Board said it will continue working to determine why the Cessna 414 crashed Sunday, but it doesn't expect to have any updates on the crash until it publishes its preliminary report about a month from now. With the wreckage still resting under a couple hundred feet of water, the NTSB's investigator isn't even immediately travelling to where the plane crashed about 3 miles (about 5 kilometers) off the coast of Point Loma, a San Diego neighborhood that juts into the Pacific. Authorities have not identified the people who died in the crash. The plane was scheduled to return to Arizona on Sunday — one day after it flew out to San Diego. A natural supplements company called Optimal Health Systems based in Pima, Arizona, said it sold the plane in 2023 to a group of individuals who are part of their small community. Air traffic controllers quickly became concerned about the plane after it failed to climb over 1,000 feet or turn back east after taking off. The pilot reported having trouble climbing and maintaining his heading before repeatedly calling out 'Mayday' before the plane disappeared from radar. This crash came just weeks after a small Cessna crashed into a San Diego neighborhood in foggy weather and killed six people . Those two are just the latest in a string of deadly crashes , mishaps and near misses in aviation this year ever since an airliner collided with an Army helicopter over Washington, D.C., in January, killing 67 people. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
