Local Aviation Community Mourns Death of Richard McSpadden Jr.

An investigation is underway as to the cause of the plane crash that killed Richard McSpadden Jr., Senior Vice President of the AOPA Air Safety Institute, who was one of two people killed in an aircraft accident Sunday, October 1 in Lake Placid, New York.

McSpadden’s parents Dick and Anne McSpadden are long-time residents of Royston.

A graduate of the University of Georgia, McSpadden joined the Air Safety Institute in 2017.

He was well-known in the Georgia aviation community for his analyses of accidents and the safety-related content he and his staff created for free distribution.

The president of the Franklin-Hart County Airport Authority, Eddie Addison said McSpadden was also a trusted colleague and friend to the aviation community in Northeast Georgia.

McSpadden and former New England Patriots tight end Russ Francis were killed when the Cessna177RG Cardinal they were in crashed shortly after take-off from Lake Placid Airport in upstate New York.

Francis had recently purchased the Lake Placid Airways scenic tour business at the Lake Placid Airport, according to Lake Placid News.

AOPA spokesman Eric Blinderman told AVweb that early reports indicated the Cardinal had “an emergency on takeoff” from Lake Placid shortly before 5 p.m. Sunday evening.

McSpadden was in the right seat and Francis was in the left seat when they experienced an emergency situation, he said.

Blinderman said they tried to get back to the airport but didn’t make the runway and crashed. Both McSpadden and Francis were killed.

Blinderman said the nature of the emergency and the cause of the crash are now under investigation.

The National Traffic Safety Board was leading the investigation, and the Federal Aviation Administration issued a brief incident report on Monday.

Essex County, New York Coroner Jay Heald said autopsies were being conducted Monday morning according to a report in the Adirondack Daily Enterprise newspaper.

NTSB spokesperson Keith Holloway said in a brief statement Monday that an NTSB investigator will document the scene; examine the aircraft; try to contact any witnesses; and request air traffic communications, radar data, weather reports, maintenance records of the aircraft, and medical records and flight history of the pilot, the paper stated.

“It is important to note that NTSB does not determine cause in the early part of the investigative process,” Holloway told the paper. “This is considered the fact-gathering phase of the investigation.”

He added that a preliminary report may be available in about 10 to 12 business days and a typical NTSB investigation can take 12 to 24 months to complete and determine cause.

Lake Placid emergency services, New York State Police, Saranac Lake Volunteer Rescue Squad, and state Department of Environmental Conservation forest rangers responded to the crash scene.

In a statement issued by AOPA, McSpadden is described as a very accomplished pilot, including having served as the commander of the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds during his military career.

McSpadden is survived by his parents, his wife, Judy; his son, Grant; and his daughter, Annabel.

Funeral arrangements will be announced later and we will bring you those details as they become available.