The aviation community is mourning Richard McSpadden, senior vice president of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association’s Air Safety Institute, who died in a plane crash Oct. 1, 2023, near Lake Placid, New York.
McSpadden was in the right seat of a Cessna Cardinal 177RG that experienced an emergency after takeoff and turned toward the airport but failed to make the runway. The left-seat occupant of the aircraft, former NFL player and longtime pilot Russ Francis, 70, also died in the crash.
“AOPA has lost a great colleague in Richard McSpadden, and I have lost a great friend,” said AOPA President Mark Baker. “Richard represented everything you ever wanted in a leader, teammate, and mentor. I spent many hours flying all over the country with Richard, and spent even more hours with him and Judy as great friends. My heart aches for Judy, Grant, Annabel, and Richard’s entire family.”
McSpadden, 63, is survived by his wife of 31 years, Judy, his children, Grant and Annabel, his parents, Richard and Ann, and his three siblings, Donna (Bill), Cliff (Patricia), and Debi (Jim), along with many nieces and nephews.
According to his obituary on Legacy.com, “Richard flew F15 Eagles in the United States Air Force and F-16s as the commander of the Thunderbirds Air Demonstration Team. He directed programs for 11 years at Hewlett Packard Enterprise, then served as the Senior Vice President of the AOPA Air Safety Institute. He taught both of his children to fly.”
During his tenure leading the Air Safety Institute, McSpadden ushered AOPA’s safety education arm into the YouTube era, introducing a new video series focused on improving the general aviation safety record and expanding pilots’ knowledge and skills, according to a story at AOPA.org.
“His approach centered on five principles of safety: Take knowledgeable people; train them well; keep them proficient; put them in reliable, modern equipment; and surround them in a culture that supports good decision making.”
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Richard McSpadden Scholarship for Advanced Pilot Training, AOPA, 421 Aviation Way, Frederick, Maryland, 21701.
You can read AOPA’s full report, “AOPA’s McSpadden lived his passion” here.
You can read his obituary on Legacy.com here.
This illustrates the inherent risks associated with GA flying. Even the most safety conscious pilots can be killed in an instant. As a pilot, I always have fear. Fear is healthy, as it makes you extra vigilant in pre-flight and in flight. We must understand the risks and either accept them or stay on the ground.
That’s correct.
RIP to a good man. Heartfelt regards to his family.
I enjoyed watching his videos. He won’t be forgotten easily, he touched many lives.