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Indian-American doctor, family killed in NY plane crash
The Mitsubishi MU-2B aircraft was piloted by Joy Saini’s husband Dr Michael Groff
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Malvika Choudhary - Mon, 14, Apr 2025
- 14:34 EDT
- 478
Joy Saini / bostonpelvic.com
An Indian-American doctor and five others, including the victim’s husband and two children, were killed when their private plane crashed in upstate New York on April 12.
The Mitsubishi MU-2B aircraft, piloted by Joy Saini’s husband Dr Michael Groff, a Harvard-affiliated neurosurgeon and experienced flyer, went down in a muddy agricultural field near Copake, about 10 miles south of Columbia County Airport.
Also Read: Two Indian-origin people among victims of DC plane crash
According to media reports, The victims included Saini and Groff; their daughter, Karenna Groff, a former MIT soccer standout and 2022 NCAA Woman of the Year; their son, Jared Groff, a Swarthmore College graduate working as a paralegal; Jared’s partner Alexia Couyutas Duarte, also a Swarthmore graduate who was set to attend Harvard Law School this fall; and Karenna’s boyfriend, James Santoro, a recent MIT graduate.
According to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the aircraft had departed from Westchester County Airport and was en route to Columbia County Airport when the pilot reported a missed approach and requested a second attempt to land.
Air traffic controllers issued three low-altitude alerts shortly afterward, but received no response. There was no distress call. NTSB investigators later confirmed that video evidence showed the aircraft crashing intact at a high rate of descent.
The family was reportedly headed to the Catskills to celebrate both Passover and a birthday when the tragedy occurred. Weather conditions at the time were poor, and the pilot was flying under instrument flight rules. The aircraft had recently been upgraded with new cockpit technology that met FAA standards, and the NTSB is investigating whether visibility or other factors contributed to the crash.
Saini, born in Punjab, India, had immigrated to the United States with her parents. She studied medicine at the University of Pittsburgh, where she met Groff. She later trained at New York Presbyterian-Weill Cornell and went on to establish herself as a leading pelvic surgeon. In 2013, she was among the first certified urogynecologists in the U.S., following recognition of the subspecialty by medical boards.
She founded Boston Pelvic Health and Wellness in Wellesley, Massachusetts, where she focused on treating pelvic floor disorders and was known for her dedication to women’s health and compassionate care. Saini and Groff leave behind their younger daughter, Anika Groff, and extended family members in the United States and India.
Authorities said the investigation into the crash could take up to two years.
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