A Mitsubishi MU2B40 aircraft carrying six people crashed in Copake, eastern New York, on Saturday afternoon, with U.S. media reporting no survivors.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) confirmed it is investigating the “fatal crash,” which occurred about 10 miles (16 kilometers) from Columbia County Airport. NTSB official Todd Inman did not specify the number of fatalities but said the plane was intact upon descent before “compressing, buckling, and embedding into the terrain” upon impact.
According to The New York Times, all six on board—including neurosurgeon Michael Groff, his surgeon wife Joy Saini, their two children, and the children’s partners—were killed. The group had been traveling to a 25th birthday celebration and a Passover gathering.
Inman stated that the pilot, described as experienced, had reported a missed approach and requested directions for another attempt before the crash. Visibility was deteriorating at the time, though the aircraft had recently undergone cockpit upgrades.
The tragedy follows a series of recent aviation accidents in the U.S., including last week’s helicopter crash into the Hudson River that claimed six lives. In January, 67 people died in a mid-air collision between a military helicopter and a passenger plane in Washington. Separately, a light aircraft with mechanical issues crashed shortly after takeoff in Florida on Friday, killing three.
The NTSB’s investigation into the New York crash is ongoing.
NN24