Plane Carrying Super Bowl Winner Russ Francis ‘Did Not Climb Well’ Before Fatal Crash, NTSB Says

Moments before a small pane crashed at the Lake Placid Airport on Sunday, killing former NFL player Russ Francis and one other man onboard, the aircraft appeared to have suffered a loss of power and was seen "not climbing well" after take off, a federal investigator said Tuesday.

The single-engine Cessna 177 encountered engine trouble soon after it departed the small upstate New York airport, National Transportation Safety Board Senior Air Safety Investigator Todd Gunther told reporters during a press briefing.

"Witnesses say they were probably around pattern altitude, which is probably about 1,000 feet above ground level, or maybe a little less," Gunther said. "When the airplane was observed, it did not appear to be climbing very well."

NTSB officials had said Monday the aircraft took a "hard roll to the left" shortly after takeoff.

But investigators still have considerable work ahead of them in figuring out what exactly happened in the lead up to the crash that killed Francis, a former NFL tight end who was part of the San Francisco 49ers when they won Super Bowl XIX in 1985, and Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association’s Senior Vice President Richard McSpadden.

Gunther addressed reporters Tuesday as NTSB officials gathered information at the scene to compile a preliminary report on the crash.

Gunther expects the initial report will be available within seven to 10 days, and a complete analysis of the incident in about 18 months.

Investigators will look over the pilot's flight records, flight physiology, the plane's maintenance records and the weather conditions at the time of the crash late Sunday afternoon, Gunther said.

According to Gunther, investigators have reports from witnesses who said the aircraft reported a problem and was returning just before it went down.

The AOPA said in a statement on Sunday the plane experienced an emergency after takeoff and “failed to make the runway” as Francis and McSpadden attempted to return to the airport.

Francis was a Super Bowl-winning tight end who played for 13 seasons in the NFL in the 1970s and '80s.

He played for the New England Patriots and San Francisco 49ers and scored his Super Bowl Ring in the 49ers' win over the Dolphins in Super Bowl XIX.

In its statement, the AOPA remembered McSpadden as a "a very accomplished pilot, including serving as commander of the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds during his military career, and a trusted colleague, friend, son, husband and father."