The heartbroken father of an MIT alum killed in a plane crash over the weekend has revealed his son’s devastating plans for the future.
James Santoro, a recent graduate, had 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 crashed into a muddy field in upstate New York on Saturday, killing all six people aboard.
Karenna and James, both 25, were on the plane with her neuroscientist father, urogynecologist mother, brother, and partner.
James’ father, John Santoro, spoke about his son’s excitement to start a new life with his girlfriend in New York City after they met as freshmen at MIT and graduated in 2022.
John told Fox affiliate WFXT that the couple planned to get engaged this summer.
“I still couldn’t believe it was true. I still don’t believe it’s true,” the distraught father told the outlet.
“Their suffering has ended. “Ours has just started,” he told the Daily Mail.
Karenna was an All-American soccer player who studied biomedical engineering at the prestigious Cambridge University in Massachusetts.
She was named the 2022 NCAA Woman of the Year.
Karenna co-founded a company that created masks for critical 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 told you.
She had recently enrolled in medical school at New York University.
James, a New Jersey native who played lacrosse and studied math at MIT, was an investment associate at a hedge fund.
“The 25 years we had with James were the best years of our lives,” John told AP.
“The joy and love he brought us will be enough to last a lifetime.”
‘WONDERFUL FAMILY’
John stated that he shared his excitement for Karenna and James’ future with Karenna’s parents, Dr. Michael Groff and Dr. Joy Saini, who were also killed in the tragic crash.
Karenna’s paralegal brother, Jared Groff, and his partner, Alexia Couyutas Duarte, who were planning to attend Harvard Law School in the fall, joined the doctor family.
“They were a wonderful family,” John told the Associated Press.
“The world has lost a lot of very good people who would have done a lot of good for the world if given the opportunity. “We are all personally devastated.”
MIT’s statement
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology issued the following statement regarding 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,” a spokesperson for MIT told me.
“She received a Bachelor of Science in Biological Engineering in 2022 and a Master of Engineering (M.Eng) in Biological Engineering in 2023.”
“Karenna was the second MIT student-athlete to be named NCAA Woman of the Year.
“I can confirm that James Santoro is also an MIT graduate. In 2022, he graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in finance.
“We extend our heartfelt condolences to the affected families and everyone who knew the deceased.
“Focused outreach and conversations are taking place to provide care and support to our community. We encourage any MIT community members affected by these deaths to seek support.
Michael owned a private plane and the group was flying to the Catskills to celebrate a birthday and Passover.
The twin-engine Mitsubishi MU-2B departed Westchester County Airport in White Plains, New York, on Saturday and was scheduled to land at Columbia County Airport in Hudson, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
It is unclear what caused the crash
According to the National Transportation Safety Board, Michael radioed air traffic control at Columbia County Airport moments before the crash, stating that he had missed the initial approach.
He requested a new approach plan, the NTSB stated during a briefing on Sunday.
As the plane descended, he received a low altitude alert. Air traffic control attempted to contact Michael three times, but received no response and no distress call.
According to the NTSB, investigators obtained video footage of the flight’s final seconds, revealing that the aircraft was intact before it crashed.
The plane did not collide with any structures as it descended.
First responders had a difficult time getting to the crash site due to the muddy conditions.
NTSB official Todd Inman stated that the plane was “compressed, buckled, and embedded in the terrain” of the muddy field.
The NTSB is expected to provide another briefing on Monday afternoon.
