Former NCAA woman of the year, 5 other family members killed in upstate New York plane crash

The recipient of 2022 of the prestigious NCAA Woman of the Year Award, a former footballer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, was one of the six victims killed in a plane crash in New York on Saturday, according to her family statement.

Karenna Groff, a medical student at NYU Langone at the Department of Neurosurgery and a former MIT football star, died when a turbocopp airplane crashes 10 miles from the Colombia Airport near the town of Kopake, New York, on Saturday Post -bead.

Five others – including Groff’s partner, James Santoro – died in the crash, the family said.

“He was most glad to offer his love, Karena, this summer,” said ABC News a statement.

Only one woman is chosen each year as a woman of the year NCAA, with three finalists from divisions I, II and III. The honor has been given since 1991 and includes winners such as the Basketball Hall of the famous Rebecca Lobo (1995), the swimmer of the Olympic Gold Medal Kimberly Black (2001) and the three -time Olympic triple Jumper Kurata Orji (2018).

The dead passengers were all members of the Groff family, including the parents of Groff, Joy Sainy and Michael Groff; Her brother Jared Groff; And his partner, Alexia Kuitas Duarte, said the family.

Joy Sainy was a pelvic surgeon, and Michael Greff was a neurosurgeon as their daughter was training, according to the family.

“We will remember them like the six brilliant, dynamic and loving people as they were,” the family said. “Families want confidentiality during this difficult time.”

The family said information would be presented on funerals and monuments.

During a briefing at the press on Sunday, the National Transport Safety Council said the pilot reported a “missed approach” and “asked for vectors for another approach.” Officials said that while the pilot returned around, “the radar shows a low altitude signal.”

The air traffic controller tried to “relay this signal for low altitude” and tried to connect to the pilot three extra times, but was unsuccessful, according to the leading investigator of NTSB for this incident, Albert Nixon.

“There was no answer from the pilot and there was no call call,” Nixon said.

The aircraft, which diverted from the Westchester County Airport, linked to the Airport of Colombia, crashes “at a high percentage of origin” in “flat agricultural field”, NTSB said. This was the second flight of the aircraft of the day

Authorities would not say who flies on the plane, but the family statement notes that Michael Greff was “an experienced pilot who fell in love with flying after being taught by his father at the age of sixteen.”

During a briefing at the press on Monday afternoon, NTSB said the pilot, who also owns the aircraft, was obliged to undergo additional training, along with a pilot license, which was completed in October 2024.

Officials also said that at the site of the crash there was “deterioration of weather conditions”.

NTSB will remain in place in the next five days to collect all “non -permanent materials” and a preliminary investigation report will be available within the next 30 days.

The Groff was the captain of the MIT III football team and finished his career second of all time in goals and points at the school. She was the second All-American team as a junior and third All-American team in their last season.

ABC News’ Ayesha Ali and Emme Marchese have contributed to this report