Federal agents have detailed the tragic final moments of a plane crash in upstate New York last month that claimed the lives of two families: one from Massachusetts and another on their way to the Catskills to celebrate a birthday and Passover.
The victims included Karen Nagroff, a former MIT soccer player who was recognized as the 2022 NCAA Woman of the Year, along with her parents, Dr. Michael Groff and Dr. Joy Saini. Also on board were her brother, Jared Groff, his partner Alexia Couyutas Duarte, and Karen’s boyfriend, James Santoro.
A preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board stated that the private plane took off from Westchester County Airport in White Plains, New York, at approximately 11:30 AM, heading north towards Columbia County Airport in Hudson.
Michael Groff was piloting the aircraft, which left the Boston area early Saturday morning to pick up Karenna Groff and Santoro before a brief trip to the Catskills for Karenna’s 25th birthday celebration.
At around 11:57 AM, Groff informed Air Traffic Control that he had missed his first approach to land at Columbia County Airport. The control tower provided him with new instructions for landing.
However, just a minute later, controllers warned Groff that the plane was flying at dangerously low altitudes. Unfortunately, he did not respond, and despite several attempts to reach him, no further radio communications were received as radar contact was ultimately lost.
The Mitsubishi MU-2B-40 crashed in snowy terrain about 10 miles south of the airport.
While investigators have yet to pinpoint the exact cause of the crash, preliminary reports indicated that all critical components of the aircraft were located within a 150-foot debris field. Notably, significant weather advisories had been issued, and conditions were said to impair visibility for pilots at the time of the incident.
NTSB officials noted that the cloudy weather likely contributed to reduced visibility, although initial investigations did not point to any mechanical failures with the aircraft.
