NY plane crash victims were set to get engaged before tragedy as James Santoro’s dad cries ‘our suffering’s just begun’
THE heartbroken dad of an MIT alum killed in a plane crash over the weekend has shared his son’s devastating plans for the future.
Recent graduate James Santoro had recently moved to Manhattan with his girlfriend Karena Groff, who was also killed in the tragedy.
The young couple was on a private plane heading to the Catskills for a weekend of celebration when it plunged into a muddy field in upstate New York on Saturday, killing all six people on board.
Karenna and James, 25, were on the plane with Karenna’s neuroscientist father, urogynecologist mother, brother, and his partner.
James’ father, John Santoro, opened up about his son’s excitement to embark on a new journey with his girlfriend in New York City after the two first met as freshmen at MIT and graduated in 2022.
John said the couple planned to get engaged this summer, he told Fox affiliate WFXT.
“Still couldn’t believe it was true. I still don’t believe it’s true,” the devastated dad told the outlet.
“Their suffering is over. Ours has just begun,” he told the Daily Mail.
Karenna was an All-American soccer player who studied biomedical engineering at the prestigious university in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
She was named the 2022 NCAA Woman of the Year.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, Karenna co-founded a business that designed masks for essential workers during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Karenna was a fantastic person, and after you met her parents, it became pretty clear where she got it from,” John said.
She had just enrolled in medical school at New York University.
James, a New Jersey native who played lacrosse and studied math at MIT, was working as an investment associate for a hedge fund.
“The 25 years we had with James were the best years of our lives,” John told the Associated Press.
“The joy and love he brought us will be enough to last a lifetime.”
‘WONDERFUL FAMILY’
John said he shared his excitement for Karenna and James’s future with Karenna’s parents, Dr. Michael Groff and Dr. Joy Saini, who were also killed in the tragic crash.
The family of doctors was joined by Karenna’s paralegal brother, Jared Groff, and his partner, Alexia Couyutas Duarte, who planned to attend Harvard Law School this fall.
“They were a wonderful family,” John told AP.
“The world lost a lot of very good people who were going to do a lot of good for the world if they had the opportunity. We’re all personally devastated.”
MIT's statement
The Massachussetts Institute of Technology released the following statement about the tragic plane crash on Saturday.
“Sadly, I can confirm that Michael Groff, MD, was pursuing an Executive MBA at MIT’s Sloan School of Management and his daughter, Karenna Groff, is an MIT alumna,” an MIT spokesperson said.
“She earned a Bachelor of Science in Biological Engineering in 2022 and a Master of Engineering (M.Eng) in Biological Engineering in 2023.
“While at MIT, Karenna was also the second MIT student-athlete ever to earn NCAA Woman of the Year honors.
“I can confirm that James Santoro is also an MIT alumnus. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Finance in 2022.
“Our deepest condolences are with the impacted families and with all those who knew the deceased.
“Focused outreach and conversations are taking place to offer care and support within our community. As ever, we are encouraging any members of the MIT community who may be affected by these deaths to reach out for support.”
Source: WFXT
The group was taking a private plane, flown by Michael, to celebrate a birthday and Passover in the Catskills.
The twin-engine Mitsubishi MU-2B left Westchester County Airport in White Plains, New York, on Saturday and was set to land at the Columbia County Airport in Hudson, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
It’s unclear what caused the crash.
FINAL MOMENTS
Moments before the tragedy, Michael had radioed air traffic control at Columbia County Airport and said he missed the initial approach, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.
He requested a new approach plan, NTSB added at a briefing on Sunday.
As the plane was dropping, he received a low altitude alert. Air traffic control tried to contact Michael three times, but there was no response and no distress call.
Investigators said they received video of the flight’s final seconds, which showed the aircraft was intact before it crashed, NTSB said.
The plane didn’t hit any structures on the way down.
The muddy conditions at the crash site made it difficult for first responders to reach the scene.
The plane was “compressed, buckled and embedded in the terrain” of the muddy field, NTSB official Todd Inman said.
The NTSB is expected to give another briefing on Monday afternoon.