COPAKE, N.Y. — The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) confirmed that all six people aboard a small plane that crashed in Copake on Saturday afternoon have died. Among the victims was Karenna Groff, a star soccer player for MIT and the 2022 NCAA Woman of the Year, according to family members who spoke to the Associated Press.
According to the Columbia County Medical Examiner’s Office, Groff was traveling with her parents, Dr. Michael Groff and Dr. Joy Saini, her boyfriend, James Santoro, her brother, Jared Groff, and Jared’s girlfriend, Alexia Couyutas. The plane, a Mitsubishi M2-B40 with tail number N-635 T-A, departed from White Plains and was en route to Columbia County Airport when it went down in a large muddy field approximately 20 miles from its destination.
Todd Inman, an NTSB board member, said, “We have verified there were six people on board. I can say that all six were removed from the scene.”
The NTSB has not released the names of the victims but confirmed that the group was flying for a holiday gathering.
Inman noted that weather conditions, including deteriorating visibility, would be examined as part of the investigation. “Weather will be something as part of one of many different groups that we will look at,” he said.
Community members expressed their sorrow over the tragedy. Paul Amash, Jr., manager at Hillsdale General Store, said, “We get a lot of planes, I’ll actually say a lot of low-flying planes throughout the area, and to have one crash in our backyard is very unfortunate and I think I can speak for the entire community to say that, you know, we’re heartbroken and our hearts go out to the deceased.”
Lindsay LeBrecht, a member of Sensible Solar for rural NY, added, “The crash is tragic, and everybody I know feels terrible about it. And there’s a great part, sincere sympathy is to know everybody involved.”
The crash remains under investigation, and the NTSB plans to hold another conference on Monday afternoon to provide further updates.