NTSB Details Last Moments of Plane Crash That Killed Patriots Great Russ Francis

Oct. 21—LAKE PLACID — The National Transportation Safety Board's initial investigation of the plane crash that killed New England Patriots great Russ Francis and another man offers new details about the final moments of the doomed flight, but makes no formal findings about why it crashed at a North Country airport.

The plane, a Cessna 177RG four-seater, took off from Lake Placid Airport shortly after 4 p.m. on Oct. 1 for what was supposed to be an aerial photography session. A second plane, a six-seat Beech A36, was in the air to photograph the Cessna, which was used by Lake Placid Airways scenic tour business, a company that according to the Adirondack Enterprise had recently been purchased by Francis.

The Beech took off first. Shortly after the second took flight, the pilot of the Beech heard a distress call on a radio frequency used for air travel.

"We have a problem and we're returning to the airport," one of the men on the Cessna radioed. The NTSB report does not identify either man killed in the crash, nor does not make clear who was piloting the doomed plane.

The Cessna hit an embankment at the airport and slid about 30 feet down the slope. Francis and Richard McSpadden, the senior vice president of air safety for the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, were killed.

Witnesses said they heard the plane's engine running as it taxied down the runway, but it shut off for about 10 seconds before restarting. One unidentified witness told investigators the plane sounded as if the propeller was set for "climb" and not takeoff as it headed down the runway and then the engine surged. The witness added that in its initial ascent, the Cessna did not sound as if it were running at full power.

The plane made a gentle left turn somewhere between 300 and 400 feet above ground level to get closer to the Beech. Once the planes were about 1,000 feet apart, the Cessna made a "hard right turn" toward the airport and the distress call was made.

The report — posted late Friday on X, the website formerly known as Twitter — offers the NTSB's preliminary findings from the agency's investigation of the crash. It is likely to take more than a year before a final report is released.

Investigators examined the wreckage. Damage to the plane, which crashed about 400 feet from the runway, made it difficult to determine the position of the fuel pump switch. The report said 17 gallons of fuel remained in the tank and the fuel lines appeared clear.

The report details impact damage to several portions of the plane, including the landing gear, engine, and propeller. It offers no indication investigators have singled out a mechanical cause for the crash.

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Francis, 70, played 167 games in the NFL as a tight end, collecting 40 touchdown receptions during a career that stretched from 1975 to 1988. He played for the Patriots as well as the San Francisco 49ers, making the Pro Bowl three times.

Francis won a Super Bowl ring in 1984 with the 49ers before returning to the Patriots for his final season in 1988.

Earlier this month, Patriots owner Bob Kraft described Francis as a "fan favorite."

"He was a dynamic player on the field who had an even bigger personality off it," Kraft said. "He knew no boundaries, pushed the limits and lived his life to the fullest."

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