A heartbreaking plane crash in upstate New York on Saturday claimed the lives of six individuals, including celebrated former MIT athlete Karenna Groff. The private aircraft, identified as a twin-engine Mitsubishi MU-2B, went down in a muddy agricultural field near Craryville, with authorities confirming no survivors. The victims were traveling for a holiday celebration, according to a joint family statement, which identified the deceased as Karenna, her parents Dr Michael Groff and Dr Joy Saini, her brother Jared Groff and his partner Alexia Couyutas Duarte, and Karenna’s partner James Santoro.

Karenna, 26, was a standout student-athlete at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, earning the NCAA’s Woman of the Year honor in 2022. She was currently attending medical school at NYU, where faculty described her as warm, accomplished, and deeply compassionate. Her brother Jared worked as a paralegal, and his partner Alexia was preparing to begin her studies at Harvard Law School. Both of Karenna’s parents were esteemed doctors, while James Santoro, her partner, was also an MIT graduate. “The world lost a lot of very good people who were going to do a lot of good for the world,” said James’s father, John Santoro.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has launched a full investigation into the crash. According to NTSB official Todd Inman, the plane was flying under instrument flight rules, and no distress signal was received before the crash. While early reports suggest Karenna’s father, Dr Michael Groff, may have been piloting the aircraft, this has not yet been officially confirmed. The plane reportedly had an upgraded FAA-certified cockpit. Authorities will continue their probe, with a final report expected within the next 12 to 24 months.