6 dead in upstate NY plane crash include 2022 NCAA woman of the year, her family: Reports
6 dead in upstate NY plane crash include 2022 NCAA woman of the year, her family: Reports
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Six people 'removed from scene' of plane crash in upstate NY
Officials confirm that six people were 'removed from the scene' of a plane crash site in upstate New York.
A small plane crashed in upstate New York last Saturday and killed all six people on board, officials said. The victims are reportedly Karenna Groff, the 2022 NCAA woman of the year, and some of her family members. This comes just days after a similar tragedy where another family was killed when a helicopter plummeted into the Hudson River.
The plane, a Mitsubishi MU-2B, was en route to Columbia County Airport in Hudson, New York, when it crashed into an open field near Copake, a small town located about 20 miles southeast of the airport, around 12:15 p.m. local time on April 12, the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement.
The aircraft went down on Two Town Road near Copake and did not damage any structures, Undersheriff Jacqueline Salvatore said at a news conference.
There were no survivors of the crash, with all six being removed from the scene, National Transportation Safety Board member Todd Inman confirmed at a news conference on Sunday. Inman said some of the victim's family members said the passengers included those traveling to the Columbia airport to visit relatives for a holiday celebration.
Who was on board the plane?
The New York Times and The Associated Press, citing a family statement, reported that the six victims included doctors, two of their children, and their children's partners.
Among the victims were Karenna Groff; her father, Dr. Michael Groff; her mother, Dr. Joy Saini; her brother, Jared Groff; Alexia Couyutas Duarte, Jared Groff's partner; and Karenna Groff's boyfriend, James Santoro, the Times and AP reported.
The group was reportedly on a trip for a birthday celebration and the Passover holiday.
Deadly plane crash: 3 victims in Boca Raton, Florida, plane crash identified
Who was Karenna Groff?
Karenna Groff played soccer at MIT and was named the 2022 NCAA woman of the year. According to ESPN, during the COVID-19 pandemic Groff co-founded openPPE, helping to create a new design of masks for essential workers.
Probable cause of crash under investigation
Video obtained by officials showed that the aircraft was intact before crashing at a "high rate of descent into the ground," Inman said.
The probable cause of the crash is under investigation by the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board. The Columbia County Sheriff's Office also has launched its own investigation.
"Our mission is to understand not just what happened, but why it happened, and to provide recommendations for it not to happen again," Inman said.
"We are actively investigating a fatal plane crash on Two Town Road in the town of Copake, New York," Salvatore said. "We do not know what happened at this time."
Salvatore estimated that the investigation would take a "couple of days," noting that "accessibility was difficult" because the plane was in the middle of a muddy field. NTSB will hold a press conference at 6 p.m. ET April 13 to provide additional details about investigation.
Gabe Hauari is a national trending news reporter at USA TODAY. You can follow him on X @GabeHauari or email him at Gdhauari@gannett.com.
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