HORRIBLE: Russ Francis, former Patriot and 49ers great, died in a plane accident

HORRIBLE: Russ Francis, former Patriot and 49ers great, died in a plane accident

Russ Francis, a 49ers and former Patriot, died in a plane accident.
Shortly after 4 p.m., the plane took off from Lake Placid Airport. Sunday
On February 11, 1980, in Boston Garden, New England Patriots player Russ Francis grinned at a news conference.
The Associated Press
Pictured by: AP
On February 11, 1980, in Boston Garden, New England Patriots player Russ Francis grinned at a news conference.Through Associated PressPublished on October 02, 2023 at 7:17 PM, and modified on October 03, 2023 at 6:41 AM
LAKE PLACID, N.Y. — Authorities said on Monday that former NFL tight end Russ Francis, who was selected to the Pro Bowl three times with the New England Patriots and won a Super Bowl with the San Francisco 49ers in 1984, died in a small plane crash that occurred after the aircraft took off from an airport in upstate New York, along with another aviation enthusiast.

In a single-engine Cessna 177, Francis, 70, and McSpad Richard den, 63, had just taken off from Lake Placid Airport on Sunday just after 4 p.m. when the aircraft suffered technical difficulties. The plane struck an embankment near the airport’s corner, according to the New York State Police.

Francis served as president of the charter and scenic aviation company Lake Placid Airways. According to the airline’s website, he had operated a charter service in Hawaii and had been a pilot for about 50 years. He was a lifelong aviation enthusiast. McSpadden was a renowned aviation safety specialist and the senior vice president of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. According to the organisation, he held the position of U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds leader during a period of his career.

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Francis was a first-round selection of the Patriots in the 1975 draft and played in New England until 1980. He was a member of both the 35th anniversary team and the all-decade team for the 1970s. From 1977 to 1979, he was selected to the Pro Bowl three times in a row.

Through his playing career, Robert Kraft, the owner of the Patriots, was a fan favourite, according to a statement. “Aside from being a spectacular player, he had an even greater personality off the pitch. He pushed the envelope, had no bounds, and fully experienced life.”

Francis became a member of the San Francisco 49ers in 1982 and played a key role in the team’s 1984 Super Bowl victory against Miami. In 1987, he went back to New England, and the following year, he retired. He totaled 40 touchdowns and 5,262 yards with 393 catches.

The National Transportation Safety Board is looking into the collision.