New York: Dr Joy Saini, a celebrated Indian-origin urogynaecologist, was killed with her entire family in an air crash near Massachusetts in the US on Saturday. Born in Punjab, Saini migrated to the US with her parents Kuljit and Gurdev Singh and made history by becoming the first women in that country to receive fellowship training in urogynaecology and reconstructive pelvic surgery.
She completed this fellowship at New York University Medical Centre, following her medical training at the University of Pittsburgh — the same place where she met her husband, Dr Michael Groff, a respected neurosurgeon and experienced pilot. It was Dr Groff who was flying the aircraft – a twin-engine Mitsubishi MU-2B – when it crashed into a muddy, agricultural field, killing all six people on board.
Apart from the doctor couple, the plane was carrying their two children Karenna Groff and Jared Groff, Karenna’s boyfriend James Santoro and Jared’s girlfriend Alexia Couyutas Duarte. Karenna, a former MIT soccer player, was named the 2022 NCAA Woman of the Year, while Jared was a Swarthmore College graduate, working as a paralegal. Santoro was a recent MIT graduate and Alexia, a Swarthmore graduate, planning to join the Harvard Law School.
Dr Saini went on to found Boston Pelvic Health and Wellness, where she served as a leading voice in women’s health and surgery, according to a statement from her family. Saini and Groff are survived by their daughter, Anika Groff, Dr Groff’s parents Stephen and Gebena and Dr Saini’s mother Kuljit.
According to authorities, the aircraft took off from Westchester County Airport and headed to the Columbia County Airport in upstate New York for a weekend gathering, but the plane crashed just 10 miles (16 kilometres) short of their destination near the Massachusetts border.
According to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), Groff had radioed air traffic control shortly before the crash to report that he had missed the initial landing approach. He requested a new approach plan. While the new coordinates were being prepared, air traffic controllers issued three low-altitude alerts — but received no response. There was also no distress call from the pilot.
