NTSB Releases Preliminary Report on McSpadden Accident

The NTSB has released its preliminary report on the accident that killed AOPA vice president of safety Richard McSpadden Jr. and former NFL tight end turned FBO owner Russ Francis.

Meg Godlewski

Friday, October 20, 2023 at 07:36 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

Key Takeaways:

The NTSB's preliminary report details the crash that killed AOPA Vice President of Safety Richard McSpadden Jr. and former NFL player Russ Francis during a photo mission in a Cessna 177RG.
Witnesses reported the aircraft's engine surged and lacked full power during takeoff, leading to an attempted return to Lake Placid Airport where it crashed short of the runway.
Investigation of the wreckage revealed loose fuel servo hold-down nuts and a fractured idle adjustment rod, indicating potential issues with the engine's power control system.

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The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released its preliminary report on the accident that killed AOPA vice president of safety Richard McSpadden Jr. and former NFL tight end turned FBO owner Russ Francis. The pair died on October 1 in Lake Placid, New York.

McSpadden, 63, and Francis, 70, were flying a Cessna 177RG that belonged to Lake Placid Air Service. The purpose of the flight, where McSpadden was in the right seat, was a photo mission for AOPA magazine.