A private plane that crashed in upstate New York over the weekend was carrying a close-knit family of physicians and distinguished recent student-athletes, bound for a trip to the Catskills for a birthday celebration and the Passover holiday.

The twin-engine Mitsubishi MU-2B went down shortly after noon Saturday in a muddy field in Copake, New York, near the Massachusetts line, killing all six people aboard, according to authorities and a family member who spoke to The Associated Press.

National Transportation Safety Board officials said Sunday evening the plane departed Westchester County Airport and was set to land at Columbia County Airport in Hudson. However, NTSB officials say the pilot reported missing their initial approach into Columbia County Airport to air traffic control. Officials say the pilot tried a second approach, while ATCs attempted to inform the pilot of a low altitude alert, but received no response after multiple attempts of contact. 

The crash took place about 10 miles from the Columbia County Airport, near State Route 23 and 2 Town Road.

Officials with the NTSB say they are looking to see if weather would have played a factor. They also say the pilot received his license at a young age, but he had several years of flying experience.

The NTSB says they have obtained video of the aircraft in the final seconds before impact which appears to show the plane was intact and crashed at a high rate of dissent into the ground.

"Our mission is to understand not just what happened, but why it happened and provide recommendations for it to not happen again," Todd Inman, member of the National Transportation Safety Board, said Sunday. "We will not be determining the probable cause while were here on the scene nor will be speculate about what may have caused this accident."

Among the victims were Karenna Groff, a former MIT soccer player named the 2022 NCAA woman of the year; her father, a neuroscientist, Dr. Michael Groff; her mother, Dr. Joy Saini, a urogynecologist and Karenna Groff's boyfriend, James Santoro, another recent MIT graduate, according to James’ father, John Santoro.

“They were a wonderful family,” Santoro told AP. “The world lost a lot of very good people who were going to do a lot of good for the world if they had the opportunity. We’re all personally devastated.”

Santoro said his son first met Groff as a freshman studying at MIT. Groff, who grew up in Weston, Massachusetts, was an All-American soccer player studying biomedical engineering. Santoro, a math major from New Jersey, played lacrosse for the school.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Groff co-founded openPPE, helping to create a new design of masks for essential workers. In 2023, she received the prestigious NCAA woman of the year award for the previous year for her on- and off-field accomplishments.

“Really, this recognition is a testament to my MIT women’s soccer family and all of the guidance, support, and friendship they have provided for me over the years,” she said in an interview at the time.

After graduating, Santoro and Groff moved to Manhattan, where Groff enrolled in medical school at New York University and Santoro worked as an investment associate for Silver Point, a hedge fund based in Greenwich, Connecticut.

On Saturday morning, they traveled to an airport in White Plains, a suburb of New York City, where they boarded Michael Groff's private plane, according to John Santoro.

“It's in the middle of a field and it’s pretty muddy, so accessibility is difficult," Columbia County Undersheriff Jacqueline Salvatore said at a news conference Saturday.

The National Transportation Safety Board has begun an investigation and NTSB anticipates being at the scene for another week. The agency expects to release a preliminary report within 30 days and a full report within 12-24 months. 

Funeral arrangements were underway, Santoro said.

“The 25 years we had with James were the best years of our lives,” he added, “and the joy and love he brought us will be enough to last a lifetime.”

"On behalf of everyone at the NTSB, we want to express our since condolences for the families, for the survivors of the families, and everyone who knew someone who perished in this accident," Inman said.

Officials are asking for anyone with information, including videos and door cam footage, to contact witness@ntsb.gov.