New York plane crash: Indian-origin doctor Joy Saini among victims of plane crash
PTC Web Desk: A devastating plane crash in upstate New York on Saturday claimed the lives of six persons, including Indian-origin urogynecologist Dr Joy Saini, her husband, and their children, in what has been described as a heartbreaking loss for the medical and academic communities.
The twin-engine Mitsubishi MU-2B aircraft went down around noon in a muddy field in Copake, a rural area near the Massachusetts border, roughly 10 miles from its intended destination, Columbia County Airport. The family had taken off from Westchester County Airport that morning, headed to the Catskills to celebrate Passover.
Among those lost in the crash were: Dr Joy Saini, a highly respected pelvic surgeon originally from Punjab, India, and founder of Boston Pelvic Health and Wellness. Dr Michael Groff, her husband, a well-known neurosurgeon and licensed pilot; Karenna Groff, their daughter, a former MIT soccer star who was named the 2022 NCAA Woman of the Year; Jared Groff, their son and a Swarthmore College graduate working as a paralegal; Alexia Couyutas Duarte, Jared’s partner and fellow Swarthmore alumna who was preparing to attend Harvard Law School; James Santoro, Karenna’s boyfriend and an MIT graduate.
According to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the pilot had contacted air traffic control to report a missed approach and was preparing for another attempt when the aircraft suddenly dropped from radar. Despite repeated low-altitude warnings from controllers, there was no response or distress call from the pilot.
Investigators revealed video footage captured in the final seconds shows the aircraft intact before crashing into the ground at high speed. The wreckage was found heavily embedded in a muddy agricultural field, its structure "compressed and buckled," according to officials.
The aircraft was being operated under instrument flight rules (IFR), rather than visual flight rules, raising concerns that limited visibility due to weather might have contributed to the crash. The plane had undergone a cockpit upgrade a year earlier and met all current FAA safety standards, officials added.
Dr Joy Saini was born in Punjab and immigrated to the United States with her parents, Kuljit and Gurdev Singh. She pursued her medical education at the University of Pittsburgh, where she met her husband, Dr Michael Groff. Together, they built esteemed careers in their respective fields of pelvic health and neurosurgery.
- With inputs from agencies
