A private plane crash near the New York–Massachusetts border has left six people dead, devastating a prominent Massachusetts family and claiming the life of former MIT soccer standout Karenna Groff. Authorities confirm the victims include Groff, her boyfriend, her parents, her brother, and her brother’s partner. The group was traveling aboard a single-engine aircraft that departed from White Plains, New York, on Saturday before crashing in a remote area of upstate New York.
Federal and local authorities are now investigating the cause of the crash, which occurred under unknown weather conditions and shortly after takeoff. The aircraft went down in a wooded region near the town of North Castle, close to the Massachusetts state line. Emergency responders arrived at the scene to find no survivors among the wreckage. The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have both launched investigations into the crash, with preliminary findings expected in the coming days.
Among the victims was 23-year-old Karenna Groff, a 2022 NCAA Woman of the Year finalist and a former star on the MIT women’s soccer team. Groff, who earned national academic and athletic honors, graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with degrees in biological engineering and pre-med. Teammates and faculty remember her as a brilliant scholar, compassionate leader, and fierce competitor who was deeply committed to public health and community service.
MIT releases a statement expressing profound sorrow over Groff’s death, calling her “a shining light on and off the field who embodied the best of what it means to be an MIT student.” The university is offering grief counseling and has scheduled a memorial service to honor her contributions to the school community.
Also killed in the crash were Groff’s boyfriend, whose name has not yet been released publicly, as well as her parents — both prominent members of the Boston-area business and academic communities — her brother, and his partner. The family, well known in their hometown of Weston, Massachusetts, was reportedly en route to a private weekend retreat when the tragedy occurred.
Friends and relatives are mourning the loss of an entire family that had deep roots in their community and a legacy of achievement and service. Neighbors describe them as warm, generous, and always willing to give back. Vigils are being planned in both Weston and at MIT to honor the memory of the victims.
This latest crash highlights continued safety concerns in general aviation, particularly among private and family-owned aircraft, which make up the majority of fatal air accidents in the U.S. annually. Investigators will examine the plane’s flight data, maintenance records, and pilot history as they piece together what went wrong during the flight.
For now, a region grieves the sudden loss of six lives, including a rising star whose promising future was cut tragically short.
