Steve Mensch, Tyler Perry Studios president, dies in plane crash

By Michelle Watson, Dan Heching and Megan Thomas, CNN

(CNN) — Steve Mensch, the president and general manager of studio operations at Tyler Perry Studios, died in a plane crash Friday night, according to officials.

In an email to CNN on Saturday, Tyler Perry Studios said: “We are incredibly saddened by the passing of our dear friend, Steve Mensch. Steve was a cherished member of our team for more than 8 years, and well beloved in the community of Atlanta. It is hard to imagine not seeing him smiling throughout the halls. We will miss him dearly. Our heart goes out to his family as we all send them our prayers.”

Mensch managed the day-to-day operations at Tyler Perry Studios, a 300-acre studio lot in Atlanta, according to his LinkedIn profile.

“I was incredibly sad to learn about the tragic passing of Steve Mensch, the President and General Manager of Tyler Perry Studios,” Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said in a statement. “Aside from being instrumental in establishing Atlanta as a premier destination for global film and television production, he was a trusted friend and supporter of the Mayor’s Office of Film and Entertainment.”

“Whether he was hosting national conferences or allowing our interns to tour the grounds of TPS,” the mayor added, “he was always willing to share his expertise and inspire others to pursue their passion.”

In 2019, Mensch gave CNN a tour of the studios, saying, “What Tyler has built here is the only major motion picture studio on the East Coast.”

Mensch explained at the time how the studio he oversaw blended old with new, saying, “The history on this property is immense. Founded in 1885, we have 40 buildings on the national register, we’ve built a dozen state-of-the-art sound stages.”

“We can take advantage of a hundred years of Hollywood history, of best practices and we’ve done that in incorporating the stages,” Mensch said. “Then we use the very best technology in our infrastructure, so we have the best of both.”

The Florida Highway Patrol said troopers found Mensch dead at the scene of a crash just after 8 p.m. in Citrus County, Florida. The agency does not name Mensch as the man who died, though the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office said it was Mensch, 62, from Fayetteville, Georgia.

“FHP Troopers responded to a single engine fixed-wing airplane crash on West White Dogwood Drive near the intersection of US-98,” the agency said in a statement. “An adult male occupant of the aircraft was pronounced deceased at the scene of the crash.”

The Federal Aviation Administration said the pilot was the only person on board the single-engine Vans RV12, though the agency did not mention Mensch by name.

A National Transportation Safety Board investigator was expected to visit the crash site Saturday to begin documenting the scene and examining the aircraft, the NTSB told CNN in an email. A preliminary report from the agency about the crash is expected within 30 days.

Perry, who made history as the first African American to fully own a major production studio, said Mensch, “was truly a kind soul and a great leader at the studio.”

“I’ve been trying to understand this tragedy all day – what went wrong with that plane,” Perry said in a post on Instagram Saturday night. “Steve loved flying, and he loved that plane; he took so much pride in it.”

“We all adored him and are devastated that he’s gone. I’m praying for his family as we all try to make sense of this heartbreak,” Perry added.

“Georgia’s film community has suffered a huge loss,” Lee Thomas, the director of the Georgia Film Office said. “Steve’s legacy was much more than his impressive resume – he was a great friend. He had genuine warmth, a great sense of humor, and was always willing to jump in and help whenever needed.”

“He will certainly be missed,” Thomas added.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp expressed his condolences on social media after Mensch’s death, praising him as “a good man” and noting his contributions to the Peach State’s film industry.

“A good man and an instrumental part of a studio Georgia is proud to call its own, his achievements made our state better and brought more opportunities to its people,” Kemp said on X. “His loved ones and the entire Tyler Perry Studios team will be in our thoughts and prayers as they mourn this loss.”

CNN’s Lisa Respers France and Kia Fatahi and Chris Boyette contributed to this report.

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