A family from upstate New York were killed last week when their small plane faced 'deteriorating' weather conditions as they attempted to land, investigators have revealed. Neuroscientist Michael Groff and urogynecologist Joy Saini, their two eldest children Karenna and Jared Groff, Karenna's boyfriend James Santoro and Jared's partner Alexia Couyutas Duarte all died when their plane crashed on Saturday afternoon. Michael, 55, was piloting the Mitsubishi MU2 twin-engine small aircraft when it crash landed on Saturday afternoon, killing everyone on board. The Groffs lived in Weston in Massachusetts, and were reportedly flying to the Catskills for a Passover celebration and 25th birthday for Karenna, reports the Boston Globe. On Monday, an investigator with the National Transportation Safety Board said authorities are still inspecting the exact cause of the wreck, but believe weather conditions were a factor. NTBS official Todd Inman said at a news briefing on Monday that weather conditions at the time of the crash were 'what we consider to be deteriorating.' He said freezing winter weather was blowing in, including 'wind from 10 degrees at eight knots, a temperature of 37 degrees, with a dew point of 36 degrees Fahrenheit.' The findings come as it was revealed that the tragedy wiped out almost the entire family except from Anika Groff, a high school senior who was left bereft at the loss of her loved ones. Officials said when they found the family's crashed aircraft near the Massachusetts border in Copake, New York, several inches of snow were on the ground. Inman said the NTSB expects to finish investigating the wreckage by Tuesday evening, where it will be taken to an analysis facility in Massachusetts. Shortly before the crash, the pilot radioed air traffic control at Columbia County Airport to say he had missed the initial approach and requested a new approach plan, the NTSB said following the crash. While preparing the new coordinates, air traffic controllers attempted to relay a low altitude alert three times, with no response from the pilot and no distress call. Investigators obtained video of the final seconds of the flight, which 'appears to show that the aircraft was intact and crashed at a high rate of descent into the ground,' Inman previously said. Tributes poured in for the prominent family, with James Santoro's grieving father John telling Boston25: 'Still couldn’t believe it was true. I still don’t believe it’s true.' James was a math major from New Jersey and played lacrosse for MIT, where Karenna played soccer. After graduating, the pair moved into Manhattan where Karenna enrolled in New York University's medical school and James worked as an investment associate for Silver Point. 'They were a wonderful family,' John 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.' '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.' During the COVID-19 pandemic, Karenna 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. Karenna's mother, India-born Saini, was an accomplished pelvic surgeon and the founder of Boston Pelvic Health and Wellness, according to a family statement. She trained in medicine at the University of Pittsburgh, where she met Michael Groff, who became a distinguished neurosurgeon and experienced pilot, the statement said. Jared Goff's partner Duarte was also set to attend Harvard Law School. In a joint statement from the relatives of the victims, the families said they will 'remember them as the six brilliant, dynamic, and loving people that they were.' 'Their lives ended far too soon,' the statement read. 'One family member, a current student at Weston High School, was not on the plane and remains with us. We are holding her and her extended family and friends in our thoughts and are committed to supporting her in the days ahead.