A family doctor of Indian origin and her close-knit family were among the six individuals who lost their lives when a private plane crashed in upstate New York on Saturday afternoon. The fatal accident involved a twin-engine Mitsubishi MU-2B, which crashed around noon in a field of mud in Copake, on the border of Massachusetts.
The authorities identified the victims as India-born Dr Joy Saini, a renowned urogynecologist; her husband Dr Michael Groff, a neuroscientist and skilled pilot; their daughter Karenna Groff, a former soccer player at MIT and 2022 NCAA Woman of the Year; their son Jared Groff, a graduate of Swarthmore College and a paralegal; Jared’s partner Alexia Couyutas Duarte, a Swarthmore graduate and prospective Harvard Law School student; and Karenna’s boyfriend James Santoro, a MIT graduate.
Plane Missed Approach Before Crash
The family had boarded Michael Groff’s private flight out of Westchester County Airport bound for Columbia County Airport for a Passover celebration in the Catskills, reports the Associated Press. The plane crashed about 10 miles (16 kilometers) south of the planned landing destination.
Just before the crash, the pilot called Columbia County Airport air traffic control and reported that he had overshot the first approach and asked for new approach coordinates. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) officials said air traffic controllers, as they programmed the new course, attempted three times to call out a low-altitude alert—getting no response from the pilot and no distress call.
NTSB spokesperson Todd Inman stated that investigators retrieved video evidence which “appears to indicate that the plane was intact and flew at a steep rate of descent into the ground.” The debris was found “compressed, buckled and buried in the ground” of a muddy farm field.
Weather Conditions Under Investigation
Investigators revealed that the aircraft was operating under instrument flight rules, not visual ones. The NTSB is currently examining whether weather conditions and reduced visibility contributed to the crash. The owner reportedly sold the plane a year ago, and the new cockpit featured modernized technology certified by the Federal Aviation Administration.
Legacy of Dr Joy Saini
As reported by Mid Hudson News, Dr Joy Saini was born in Punjab, India, and subsequently immigrated to the United States with her parents, Kuljit and Gurdev Singh. A renowned pelvic surgeon, Saini established Boston Pelvic Health and Wellness and earned a reputation for excellence as a specialist in her area of expertise.
She earned her medical degree at the University of Pittsburgh, where she met her husband, Michael Groff, who eventually became a renowned neurosurgeon and licensed pilot.
Dr Saini and Dr Groff leave behind their daughter Anika Groff; Michael’s parents, Stephen and Gebena Groff; Joy’s mother, Kuljit; siblings Rinne Groff, Yram Groff, and Prashant Saini; and a vast extended family.
