Karenna Groff, a former MIT soccer star and the 2022 NCAA Woman of the Year, tragically died in a plane crash in upstate New York on Saturday, along with six others, including her parents, brother, and boyfriend. The twin-engine Mitsubishi MU-2B went down in a muddy field in Copake, near the Massachusetts border, shortly after the pilot missed an approach to the local airport and lost contact with air traffic control. No distress call was made, and video footage showed the aircraft crashing at a high rate of descent.
Groff, a standout athlete and biomedical engineering student, had co-founded a PPE initiative during the COVID-19 pandemic and was pursuing medical school at NYU. Her boyfriend, James Santoro, a former MIT lacrosse player, worked at a Connecticut hedge fund. Also on board were her parents, both doctors; her brother, a Swarthmore graduate; and his partner, who was preparing to attend Harvard Law School.
The flight originated from Westchester County Airport and was headed for Columbia County Airport, but crashed about 10 miles short of its destination. The aircraft had updated technology and was flying under instrument rules, though it’s unclear whether weather played a role. The NTSB will investigate the crash on-site for about a week, but a final report could take up to two years to complete.
In the wake of unimaginable loss, there are no words that can truly ease the pain—but there is love. There is the memory of lives beautifully lived, of passions pursued with heart, and of moments that touched many more than we may ever know. Karenna, her family, and those aboard that flight lived with purpose, compassion, and brilliance. The way they moved through the world—with kindness, service, and drive—left behind a legacy that continues in everyone who knew them or learned of them.
Grief may feel overwhelming now, but with time, sorrow often makes room for gratitude: for having known them, for what they inspired, and for the way they showed us how to live fully and meaningfully. Though their journey here ended far too soon, the light they carried doesn’t disappear—it passes on. And through shared memories, community strength, and continued acts of kindness in their honor, that light can keep growing, even in the darkness.