Russ Francis, a tight end with the 49ers and Patriots, dies in a plane crash
The Adirondack Daily Enterprise reports that one of the two fatalities in Sunday’s plane crash at the Lake Placid Airport in upstate New York was former NFL tight end and Super Bowl winner Russ Francis. The Patriots announced his passing on Monday, but they did not disclose the cause of death. He was seventy years old.
The statement said, “We are profoundly grieved by the sudden and tragic demise of former New England Patriots tight end Russ Francis.” “We send our sympathies to Francis’s friends and family.”
According to the Enterprise, Francis recently bought the Lake Placid Airways scenic tour company and was on the aircraft with senior president of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association Richard McSpadden, who also perished in the disaster.
According to the AOPA, McSpadden was in the right seat of the Cessna 177 Cardinal when it had an emergency shortly after takeoff, at 4:09 p.m. ET.
Syracuse.com reported that the AOPA stated in a statement that “the aeroplane attempted to return to the airport but failed to make the runway.” “The two occupants perished.”
Francis played for New England until he was moved to the 49ers in 1982 after being taken by the Patriots in the first round of the 1975 NFL Draft. He played for the San Francisco squad that prevailed in the Super Bowl XIX. After being released on waivers in 1987, Francis later played one more season in New England before retiring in 1989. He received three Pro Bowl selections.
His daughter, Annabel; son, Grant; and wife, Judy, survive him.
