NTSB Blames Partial Power Loss and Abrupt Maneuver for Fatal Cessna Crash

Final report details 2023 accident that killed AOPA’s Richard McSpadden and former NFL player Russ Francis.

Meg Godlewski

Wednesday, October 01, 2025 at 07:00 AM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

Almost two years to the day, the NTSB has released the final report on the investigation into the crash of the Cessna 177RG that killed Richard McSpadden (pictured), the head of AOPA’s Air Safety Institute and former NFL player Russ Francis. [Credit: AVweb]

Key Takeaways:

The NTSB concluded the 2023 Cessna 177 RG Cardinal crash, which killed Richard McSpadden and Russ Francis, was primarily caused by the pilot's failure to perform weight and balance calculations, leading to the airplane taking off with a forward center of gravity that degraded its controllability.
This condition was exacerbated by a partial loss of engine power during takeoff and climb, coupled with higher-than-normal density altitude, significantly reducing the aircraft's performance.
The pilot's subsequent aggressive maneuver to turn back to the airport ultimately resulted in the airplane exceeding its critical angle of attack and entering an aerodynamic stall at an altitude from which a safe recovery was not possible.

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A partial loss of engine power, an aircraft out of center of gravity, and an abrupt maneuver are blamed for the 2023 crash of a Cessna 177 RG Cardinal that killed Richard McSpadden, Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association Air Safety Institute senior vice president, and former New England Patriots tight-end-turned-FBO-owner Russ Francis.

The final report on the accident investigation was released Tuesday by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) almost two years to the day of the crash at Lake Placid Airport (KLKP) in New York.