Former NCAA of the Year, 5 other family members were killed in a Northern New York plane crash

The recipient of 2022 from the prestigious NCAA Woman of the Year Award, a former soccer player at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, was one of the six victims who were killed in a plane crash at Upstate New York on Saturday, according to a statement from his family.

Karenna Groff, a medical student in Nyu Langone in the Department of Neurosurgery and a former soccer star in MIT, died when a twin -engine turboprop crashed 10 miles from Columbia County Airport near Copake City, New York, on Saturday afternoon.

Five others – including Groff’s partner, James Santoro – died in the accident, the family said.

“He is looking forward to applying for his love, Karenna, this summer,” the family said in a statement given to ABC News.

Only one woman is chosen as the NCAA Woman of the Year, with three finalists from divisions I, II and III. Honor has been given since 1991 and includes winners such as Basketball Hall Famer Rebecca Lobo (1995), the gold medal swimmer Kimberly Black (2001) and three jumps three times the Keturah Orji Olympiad (2018).

The passengers who died were all members of the Groff family, including Groff’s parents, Joy Saini and Michael Groff; His brother, Jared Groff; And his colleague, Alexia Couuyutas Duarte, said the family.

Joy Saini is a pelvic surgeon and Michael Groff is a neurosurgeon, as trained by their daughter, according to the family.

“We will remember them as six brilliant, dynamic and loving people,” said the family. “The family asks for privacy during this difficult time.”

The family says information about funerals and warnings will come.

During the press briefing on Sunday, the National Transportation Safety Council said the pilot reported “missed approaches” and “asked for vectors for another approach.” Officials said when the pilot would return, “Radar shows a low height warning.”

An air traffic controller tries to “deliver this low height warning” and tries to contact the pilot three times the addition, but it is unsuccessful, according to the main investigator of the NTSB for this incident, Albert Nixon.

“There was no response from the pilot and there was no confusion,” Nixon said.

The plane, which had departed from Westchester County Airport to Columbia County Airport, crashed “at a high level of offspring” in “Flat Agricultural Fields,” NTSB said. This is the second flight of the aircraft today

The authorities will not say who flew the plane, but the family’s statement recorded Michael Groff was “an experienced pilot, who fell in love with flying after being taught by his father at the age of sixteen.”

During the press briefing on Monday afternoon, NTSB said the pilot, who was also the owner of the plane, was asked to undergo additional training along with having a pilot license, which was completed in October 2024.

Officials also stated that there were “deteriorating weather conditions” near the accident.

NTSB will remain on location for the next five days to gather all “easily damaged material” and initial reports about the investigation will be available in the next 30 days.

Groff is the captain for the MIT Division III soccer team and completed his second career of all time in goals and points at school. He is the second team of All-American as Junior and All-American’s third team in his last season.

ABC News’ Ayesha Ali and Emme Marchese contributed to this report