NYU Medical Student and 5 Others Killed in Upstate New York Plane Crash

Tragic Plane Crash Claims Six Lives

• ✈️ A private plane crash upstate resulted in the deaths of six individuals, including an NYU medical student and an elite college athlete, Karetta Graff.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Among the victims were Graff's parents and her boyfriend, James Santoro, who also resided in New York City.
• 🎂 The group was en route to Columbia County Airport to celebrate a 25th birthday and enjoy the holiday weekend.

Flight Details and Investigation

• 🛫 The plane departed from Westchester County Airport and was headed for Hudson, New York.
• 📉 Investigators from the NTSB reported that the aircraft descended at a high rate of speed before impact.
• 📞 An air traffic controller attempted to contact the pilot regarding a low altitude alert, but received no response or distress call.

Victims Remembered

• 🎓 Karetta Graff was a second-year medical student at NYU and was recognized as an NCAA Woman of the Year, described by the university as a "rising star."
• 💼 James Santoro, 25, lived in Manhattan, worked at a Connecticut-based hedge fund, and was remembered by his father, John Santoro, as a "very loving son."
• 💔 Santoro's father expressed the difficulty of believing the tragedy, stating his son was "very happy with his life."

Ongoing Investigation

• 🔍 The NTSB is actively investigating the exact cause of the crash.
• 🗓️ A preliminary report is expected to be issued within the next month.