The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association Air Safety Institute (ASI) has released a new video examining an accident in Lake Placid, New York, on Oct. 1, 2023, that took the lives of former NFL player Russ Francis and AOPA’s own Richard McSpadden.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) published its final report on the crash Sept. 30, 2025.
The NTSB concluded that the probable cause was: “A partial loss of engine power for undetermined reasons. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s inadequate preflight weight and balance planning and his aggressive low-altitude maneuvering, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and loss of control.”
“Now that the NTSB has published its final report, we felt it appropriate to analyze this accident, bring clarity to two years of speculation and, most importantly, offer what general aviation pilots can take away from the events that took place that day,” ASI Senior Vice President Mike Ginter said. Ginter succeeded McSpadden as senior vice president of the Air Safety Institute.
Francis, who owned the Cessna Cardinal through a company, had 9,000 hours of aeronautical experience, while McSpadden had about 5,800 hours. They were setting up for a photo formation flight with a Beechcraft Bonanza A36.
According to the NTSB report, the owner was to fly it during the takeoff and climb-out, and after joining up into the formation, McSpadden was to take over the controls and fly the airplane during the photo shoot.
The Bonanza departed from Runway 32 at Lake Placid Airport (KLKP) first, with the Cardinal about 700 feet behind. During its departure, the Cardinal appeared to have an engine issue of some kind.
“The accident airplane suddenly made a hard right turn in the direction of the airport,” the NTSB report said. “During the turn, the pilot of the Beech heard the pilot-rated passenger transmit on the common traffic advisory frequency something similar to, ‘we have a problem and we’re returning to the airport.’”
The report noted that 13 seconds later, the aircraft hit a steep embankment in a right-wing, nose-low attitude about 15 feet below the top of a plateau on airport property.
“The pilot’s subsequent aggressive use of the flight controls to turn back to the airport ultimately resulted in the airplane exceeding its critical angle of attack and entering an aerodynamic stall at an altitude from which a safe recovery by the pilot was not possible.”
During its short flight — which an on-board GPS unit logged at just one minute and two seconds from the time the Cardinal lined up on Runway 32 to the impact — the aircraft reached a maximum altitude of 1,929 feet mean sea level or 183 feet above ground level over the field.
“The NTSB did an extensive post-crash assessment of the aircraft’s engine. There were no discrepancies found with the propeller, cylinders, magnetos, or any other system that could impact engine operation,” Ginter said. “They could not conclusively determine why the aircraft was producing partial power.”
The 180° turnback to the runway, as attempted in Lake Placid, is a risky maneuver performed close to the ground that, in reality, involves more than 180° of turning, and many factors contribute to a successful outcome, according to AOPA officials. It is widely known as “the impossible turn.”
In 2021, an ASI test of four different aircraft showed that the maneuver can be performed successfully under certain conditions but may not be a wise choice for pilots.
The turn “is a viable option in certain aircraft, in the right conditions, and when flown by proficient pilots who have trained for the maneuver,” McSpadden narrates in the video called “Reality Check: The runway behind you.”
“We continue to grieve the loss of Russ Francis and Richard McSpadden, and our thoughts and prayers go out to their families,” Ginter said. “It was Richard who created this Early Analysis video series and by publishing this episode, we honor his memory.”
The full NTSB final report of this accident can be downloaded here.
You can see all the Early Analysis videos here.
Unfortunately, after two years, this NTSB Final Report contains lots of generic ‘boiler plate’ filler information, but it does not answer some fundamental questions:
Why did the engine quit during taxi?
Why was the engine only producing “partial power”?
Who was actually flying the airplane at impact?
It points out that the CG was one inch out of the forward limit and therefore a “contributing factor” that may have had a detrimental effect on the already nose-heavy Cardinal. That may be true, but that is not why they crashed.
We know that the “Pilot” (Francis) and the “Pilot-rated Passenger” (McSpadden) briefed what their specific PIC roles would be during the photo flight. However, the only things that seem clear are that Francis performed the initial takeoff …and McSpadden made the “we have a problem” radio call …with radio calls being a ‘pilot-not-flying’ task.
But did Francis continue to fly after they decided to return to the runway? Some social media “analysts” state it is unlikely McSpadden took the controls based on their “briefed” roles.
Given his overall experience and his well-documented focus on the “impossible turn”, it’s not hard to imagine Spad taking the controls to execute a right turn from the right seat, with the runway in sight, versus Russ turning right from the left seat, with no cross-cockpit visibility of the airport.
OTOH, Francis did demonstrate his willingness and ability to execute aggressive, low altitude ‘turn back’ maneuvers several days before the accident flight, when he practiced the photo flight with another flight instructor in the right seat…
We know that Francis and that other CFI specifically briefed takeoff emergencies…and then had one.
We don’t know if/what McSpadden and Francis briefed for handling emergencies.
The cost of overconfidence can the ultimate price! Never overestimate your current level of skill and proficiency! If I can happen to McSpadden, it can happen to anyone!
Never knew Richard, But his dad and brother are fine folks. His loss still stings.
The impossible turn is something I show CFI candidates, at altitude, as an aside during their training.
Since it was popularized by aviation media types, it’s often briefed during ‘pre-takeoff”. Accounting for “startle factor”, not many trainees are able to complete the turn.
May Dick, and Russ, continue to rest in peace.