NRI PULSE STAFF REPORT
Boston, MA, April 15, 2025: As authorities continue to investigate the tragic plane crash that claimed six lives in upstate New York over the weekend, the community of Weston, Massachusetts, is mourning with one of its own—Anika Groff, a high school senior who is now the sole surviving member of her immediate family.
Anika’s parents, Dr. Joy Saini, an Indian-American urogynecologist, and Dr. Michael Groff, a neurosurgeon and Harvard associate professor, were killed when their private plane went down in a muddy field near Copake, New York, on April 12. Also on board were Anika’s siblings, Karenna and Jared Groff, and their respective partners, James Santoro and Alexia Couyutas Duarte. The family had been flying to the Catskills to attend a birthday and Passover celebration when the aircraft, piloted by Dr. Groff, crashed just ten miles from its destination.
Anika, 18, was not on the flight. She had stayed behind in Massachusetts, where she is a senior at Weston High School. According to reports, she had recently made the exciting decision to attend the University of North Carolina in the fall—ultimately choosing UNC over Swarthmore College, the alma mater of her father and siblings.
The Weston School District released a statement extending its condolences to Anika and her extended family, urging the public to respect her privacy during this unimaginable time. Community members and classmates are rallying to support her, many describing her as bright, kind, and resilient.
Her sister Karenna, 23, was a medical student at NYU and a former MIT soccer star who had earned national acclaim as the 2022 NCAA Woman of the Year. Her brother Jared, 22, had graduated from Swarthmore College and was planning to attend law school. Their parents were deeply admired in the Boston-area medical community for their expertise and compassionate care.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) continues to investigate the cause of the crash. Officials have noted that the aircraft was structurally intact before impact and that recovery efforts were complicated by poor weather and muddy terrain.
