Steve Mensch, the 62-year-old president and general manager of Atlanta’s Tyler Perry Studios, tragically died in a plane crash Friday evening in Homosassa, Florida.
Mensch, who was reportedly piloting the small aircraft, crashed near Florida’s Gulf Coast, approximately 60 miles north of Tampa.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have launched investigations into the incident.
Actor and filmmaker Tyler Perry, the founder of Tyler Perry Studios and creator of the beloved Madea series, mourned Mensch’s passing in an emotional Instagram post.
“This time of year, grief meets me like an unwanted visitor, as tomorrow marks 15 years since the loss of my mother,” Perry wrote. “It feels especially harder because I have lost so many friends and mentors this year, ranging in age from as young as 40 to 92. And today, yet another loss.”
Reflecting on Mensch’s love for flying and his leadership at the studio, Perry added, “Steve loved flying, and he loved that plane; he took so much pride in it. Steve Mensch was truly a kind soul and a great leader at the studio. We all adored him and are devastated that he’s gone. I’m praying for