Latest news with #openPPE
CNN
15-04-2025
- Health
- CNN
The dead in upstate New York plane crash included 2022 NCAA woman of the year and family members
A private plane that crashed in upstate New York over the weekend was carrying a close-knit family of physicians and distinguished recent student-athletes, bound for a trip to the Catskills for a birthday celebration and the Passover holiday. The twin-engine Mitsubishi MU-2B went down shortly after noon Saturday in a muddy field in Copake, New York, near the Massachusetts line, killing all six people aboard, according to authorities and a family member who spoke to The Associated Press. Among the victims were Karenna Groff, a former MIT soccer player named the 2022 NCAA woman of the year; her father, a neuroscientist, Dr. Michael Groff; her mother, Dr. Joy Saini, a urogynecologist and Karenna Groff's boyfriend, James Santoro, another recent MIT graduate, according to James' father, John Santoro. 'They were a wonderful family,' Santoro told 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.' Santoro said his son first met Groff as a freshman studying at MIT. Groff, who grew up in Weston, Massachusetts, was an All-American soccer player studying biomedical engineering. Santoro, a math major from New Jersey, played lacrosse for the school. During the Covid-19 pandemic, Groff co-founded openPPE, helping to create a new design of masks for essential workers. In 2023, she received the prestigious NCAA woman of the year award for the previous year for her on- and off-field accomplishments. 'Really, this recognition is a testament to my MIT women's soccer family and all of the guidance, support, and friendship they have provided for me over the years,' she said in an interview at the time. After graduating, Santoro and Groff moved to Manhattan, where Groff enrolled in medical school at New York University and Santoro worked as an investment associate for Silver Point, a hedge fund based in Greenwich, Connecticut. On Saturday morning, they traveled to an airport in White Plains, a suburb of New York City, where they boarded Michael Groff's private plane, according to John Santoro. They were set to land at the Columbia County Airport, but crashed roughly 20 miles (32 kilometers) to the south. 'It's in the middle of a field and it's pretty muddy, so accessibility is difficult,' Columbia County Undersheriff Jacqueline Salvatore said at a news conference Saturday. The National Transportation Safety Board has begun an investigation and is expected to provide an update Sunday evening. Funeral arrangements were underway, Santoro said. 'The 25 years we had with James were the best years of our lives,' he added, 'and the joy and love he brought us will be enough to last a lifetime.'
Chicago Tribune
14-04-2025
- General
- Chicago Tribune
NCAA's 2022 woman of the year among 6 family members killed in an upstate New York plane crash
A private plane that crashed in upstate New York over the weekend was carrying six members of a close-knit family of physicians and distinguished student-athletes on a trip to the Catskills for a birthday celebration and the Passover holiday. The twin-engine Mitsubishi MU-2B went down shortly after noon Saturday in a muddy field in Copake, New York, near the Massachusetts line, killing everyone on board, according to authorities and a family member who spoke to The Associated Press. Shortly before the crash, the pilot had radioed air traffic control at Columbia County Airport to say he had missed the initial approach and requested a new approach plan, officials with the National Transportation Safety Board said at a Sunday briefing. While preparing the new coordinates, air traffic controllers attempted to relay a low altitude alert three times, with no response from the pilot and no distress call, officials said. Investigators obtained video of the final seconds of the flight, which 'appears to show that the aircraft was intact and crashed at a high rate of descent into the ground,' NTSB official Todd Inman told reporters. Among the victims were Karenna Groff, a former MIT soccer player named the 2022 NCAA woman of the year; her father, Dr. Michael Groff, a neuroscientist; her mother, Dr. Joy Saini, a urogynecologist; her brother, Jared Groff, a 2022 graduate of Swarthmore College who worked as a paralegal; Alexia Couyutas Duarte, Jared Groff's partner who also graduated from Swarthmore and planned to attend Harvard Law School this fall; and Karenna Groff's boyfriend, James Santoro, another recent MIT graduate, according to a family statement Sunday. 'They were a wonderful family,' James' father, John Santoro, told 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.' Santoro said his son first met Karenna Groff as a freshman studying at MIT. Groff, who grew up in Weston, Massachusetts, was an All-America soccer player studying biomedical engineering. Santoro, a math major from New Jersey, played lacrosse for the school. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Karenna Groff co-founded openPPE, helping to create a new design of masks for essential workers. In 2023, she received the prestigious NCAA woman of the year award for the previous year for her on- and off-field accomplishments. 'Really, this recognition is a testament to my MIT women's soccer family and all of the guidance, support and friendship they have provided for me over the years,' she said in an interview at the time. After graduating, Santoro and Groff moved to Manhattan, where Groff enrolled in medical school at New York University and Santoro worked as an investment associate for Silver Point, a hedge fund based in Greenwich, Connecticut. India-born Saini was an accomplished pelvic surgeon and the founder of Boston Pelvic Health and Wellness, according to the family statement. She trained in medicine at the University of Pittsburgh, where she met Michael Groff, who became a distinguished neurosurgeon and experienced pilot, the statement said. On Saturday morning, they all headed to Westchester County Airport in White Plains, a suburb of New York, where they boarded Michael Groff's private plane, according to John Santoro. They were set to land at Columbia County Airport but crashed roughly 10 miles to the south. The plane was 'compressed, buckled and embedded in the terrain' of a muddy agricultural field, Inman said. The pilot was flying under instrument flight rules, rather than visual flight rules, but it was too soon to determine if reduced visibility from weather conditions were a factor, he said. The plane had been sold a year ago and had an upgraded cockpit with newer technology that was certified to Federal Aviation Administration standards, according to the NTSB. Investigators expect to be at the crash site for about a week, and a full accident report could take between 12 and 24 months to complete, Inman said. Funeral arrangements were underway, Santoro said. 'The 25 years we had with James were the best years of our lives,' he added, 'and the joy and love he brought us will be enough to last a lifetime.'
USA Today
14-04-2025
- General
- USA Today
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 Show Caption Hide Caption 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@
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Karenna Groff, former NCAA woman of year, is killed with her family in upstate New York plane crash
A decorated former college athlete and her entire family were among six people killed in a private plane crash in upstate New York. Karenna Groff, a former MIT soccer player named the 2022 NCAA woman of the year, was on board the aircraft when it came down en route to the Catskills for a birthday celebration and the Passover holiday. The twin-engine Mitsubishi MU-2B went down shortly after noon on Saturday in a muddy field in Copake, New York, near the Massachusetts line, killing everyone on board, according to authorities and a family member who spoke to the Associated Press. Shortly before the crash, the pilot had radioed air traffic control at Columbia County Airport to say he had missed the initial approach and requested a new approach plan, officials with the National Transportation Safety Board said at a Sunday briefing. While preparing the new coordinates, air traffic controllers attempted to relay a low altitude alert three times, the NTSB officials said. ATC had received no response from the pilot and no distress call. Investigators obtained video of the final seconds of the flight, which 'appears to show that the aircraft was intact and crashed at a high rate of descent into the ground,' NTSB official Todd Inman told reporters at the briefing. 'On behalf of everyone at the NTSB I want to express our sincere condolences for the families and everyone who knew someone that perished in this accident,' Inman said. 'We are truly sorry any time anyone has to go through this.' The plane was also carrying Groff's father, neuroscientist Dr. Michael Groff; her mother, Dr. Joy Saini, a urogynecologist; and her brother, Jared Groff, a 2022 graduate of Swarthmore College who worked as a paralegal. Groff's boyfriend, James Santoro, another recent MIT graduate, was also on board, as was her brother's partner, Alexia Couyutas Duarte. 'They were a wonderful family,' Santoro's father, John Santoro, told 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.' During the COVID-19 pandemic, Karenna Groff co-founded openPPE, helping to create a new design of masks for essential workers. In 2023, she received the prestigious NCAA woman of the year award for the previous year for her on- and off-field accomplishments. 'Really, this recognition is a testament to my MIT women's soccer family and all of the guidance, support, and friendship they have provided for me over the years,' she said in an interview at the time. After graduating, Santoro and Groff moved to Manhattan, where Groff enrolled in medical school at New York University and Santoro worked as an investment associate for Silver Point, a hedge fund based in Greenwich, Connecticut. Funeral arrangements are underway, according to Santoro's father. NTSB investigators expect to be at the crash site for about a week and a full accident report could take between 12 and 24 months to complete, Inman said.
The Independent
14-04-2025
- General
- The Independent
Karenna Groff, former NCAA woman of year, is killed with her family in upstate New York plane crash
A decorated former college athlete and her entire family were among six people killed in a private plane crash in upstate New York. Karenna Groff, a former MIT soccer player named the 2022 NCAA woman of the year, was on board the aircraft when it came down en route to the Catskills for a birthday celebration and the Passover holiday. The twin-engine Mitsubishi MU-2B went down shortly after noon on Saturday in a muddy field in Copake, New York, near the Massachusetts line, killing everyone on board, according to authorities and a family member who spoke to the Associated Press. Shortly before the crash, the pilot had radioed air traffic control at Columbia County Airport to say he had missed the initial approach and requested a new approach plan, officials with the National Transportation Safety Board said at a Sunday briefing. While preparing the new coordinates, air traffic controllers attempted to relay a low altitude alert three times, the NTSB officials said. ATC had received no response from the pilot and no distress call. Investigators obtained video of the final seconds of the flight, which 'appears to show that the aircraft was intact and crashed at a high rate of descent into the ground,' NTSB official Todd Inman told reporters at the briefing. 'On behalf of everyone at the NTSB I want to express our sincere condolences for the families and everyone who knew someone that perished in this accident,' Inman said. 'We are truly sorry any time anyone has to go through this.' The plane was also carrying Groff's father, neuroscientist Dr. Michael Groff; her mother, Dr. Joy Saini, a urogynecologist; and her brother, Jared Groff, a 2022 graduate of Swarthmore College who worked as a paralegal. Groff's boyfriend, James Santoro, another recent MIT graduate, was also on board, as was her brother's partner, Alexia Couyutas Duarte. 'They were a wonderful family,' Santoro's father, John Santoro, told 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.' During the COVID-19 pandemic, Karenna Groff co-founded openPPE, helping to create a new design of masks for essential workers. In 2023, she received the prestigious NCAA woman of the year award for the previous year for her on- and off-field accomplishments. 'Really, this recognition is a testament to my MIT women's soccer family and all of the guidance, support, and friendship they have provided for me over the years,' she said in an interview at the time. After graduating, Santoro and Groff moved to Manhattan, where Groff enrolled in medical school at New York University and Santoro worked as an investment associate for Silver Point, a hedge fund based in Greenwich, Connecticut. Funeral arrangements are underway, according to Santoro's father. NTSB investigators expect to be at the crash site for about a week and a full accident report could take between 12 and 24 months to complete, Inman said.
