In brief
A private plane disaster occurred on Saturday in upstate New York, tragically claiming the lives of all six individuals on board, including former Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) football star Karenna Groff, her parents, and her brother. The family was en route to a holiday celebration when the crash transpired. According to the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), video footage shows the aircraft descending rapidly before impact.
Karenna Groff, who was honored as the NCAA's Woman of the Year in 2022, was excelling academically, enrolled in medical school at New York University (NYU) following her graduation from MIT. Her parents, both respected doctors, and her brother, along with his partner, also perished in the accident. A family statement revealed the immense loss felt by relatives, who emphasized how much good the victims could have contributed to the world. NTSB official Todd Inman reported that the plane, identified as a twin-engine Mitsubishi MU-2B, was heavily damaged upon landing in a muddy field near Craryville. During the incident, air traffic control could not establish communication with the pilot, and the reasons behind the crash, including potential weather impacts, remain unknown pending an investigation that may take up to two years for a conclusive report. This devastating incident follows closely on the heels of another helicopter crash in New York that claimed six lives just days prior.
