‘TERRIBLE TRAGEDY’

Former NFL Star Among 2 Dead in New York Plane Crash

The aircraft “experienced an emergency after takeoff,” an aviation advocacy group said.

A former NFL player was one of two people killed in an airplane crash in New York over the weekend. Russ Francis, a tight end who played for the New England Patriots and San Francisco 49ers across 13 seasons between the mid-1970s and late 1980s, was on board the Cessna 177 Cardinal that crashed at the Lake Placid Airport on Sunday afternoon, according to Lake Placid News. Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) Senior Vice President Richard McSpadden was also killed in the accident. In a statement, the AOPA said the aircraft “experienced an emergency after takeoff.” “The airplane attempted to return to the airport but failed to make the runway,” the statement added. North Elba Town Supervisor Derek Doty called Francis’ death a “terrible tragedy.”