Retired NFL star Russ Francis is killed alongside pilot in Upstate New York plane crash: Ex-Patriots and 49ers tight end, 70, recently bought scenic airplane tour business
- The incident is said to have taken place at Lake Placid Airport in New York
- Francis enjoyed two stints with the Patriots and a five-year stint with the 49ers
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Former New England Patriots and San Francisco 49ers tight end Russ Francis has died along with a pilot in a plane crash, according to reports.
The incident took place at Lake Placid Airport in Upstate New York around 4 p.m., according to a report from Lake Placid News.
New York State Police, the Saranac Lake Volunteer Rescue Squad, Department of Environmental Conservation rangers and area emergency services reportedly responded.
Pilots Association Senior Vice President Richard McSpadden also died in the crash.
The report claims that Francis had recently purchased the scenic tour company Lake Placid Airways.
Former New England Patriots and San Francisco 49ers tight end Russ Francis has died along with a pilot in a plane crash, according to reports
Francis, 70, played for the Patriots from 1975 to 1980, and again from 1987 to 1989.
Between those two stints in New England, he played in San Francisco from 1982 to 1987, where he won Super Bowl XIX over the Miami Dolphins.
He was a second-team All-Pro twice in his career and a Pro Bowl selection three times.