CNN
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Steve Mensch, president and general manager of studio operations at Tyler Perry Studios, died in a plane crash Friday evening, 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 valuable member of our team for over 8 years and well-liked in the Atlanta community. It’s hard to imagine not seeing him smile in the hallways. We will miss him very much. Our hearts go out to his family and we send them all our prayers.
Mensch managed the day-to-day operations of Tyler Perry Studios, a 300-acre studio in Atlanta, according to his LinkedIn profile.
“I was incredibly saddened to learn of the tragic passing of Steve Mensch, Chairman and CEO of Tyler Perry Studios,” Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said in a statement. “In addition to 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 TPS grounds,” 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 studios, saying, “What Tyler has built here is the only major movie studio on the East Coast. »
Mensch explained at the time how the studio he oversaw blended the old with the new, saying, “The history of this property is immense. Founded in 1885, we have 40 buildings listed on the National Register, we have built a dozen state-of-the-art sound stages.
“We can take advantage of a hundred years of Hollywood history, best practices and we’ve done that by integrating the scenes,” Mensch said. “Then we use the 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 shortly after 8 p.m. in Citrus County, Florida. The agency is not naming Mensch as the man who died, although the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office said it was Mensch, 62, of Fayetteville, Georgia.
“FHP Troopers responded to a single-engine, fixed-wing aircraft 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 accident.”
The Federal Aviation Administration said the pilot was the only person aboard the single-engine Vans RV12, although the agency did not mention Mensch by name.
A National Transportation Safety Board investigator was expected to travel to the crash site Saturday to begin documenting the scene and examining the plane, the NTSB told CNN in an email. A preliminary report from the agency on the accident 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 this plane,” Perry said in a post on Instagram Saturday evening. “Steve loved flying, and he loved this plane; he was so proud of it.
“We all adored him and are devastated by his departure. I pray for his family as we all try to make sense of this grief,” Perry added.
“The Georgia film community has suffered a tremendous loss,” said Lee Thomas, director of the Georgia Film Office. “Steve’s legacy was more than his impressive resume: he was a great friend. He had genuine warmth, a great sense of humor and was always ready to step in and help when needed.
“He will certainly be missed,” Thomas added.
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp expressed his condolences on social media following Mensch’s death, calling him a “good man” and emphasizing his contributions to the Peach State film industry.
“A good man and an instrumental part of a studio Georgia is proud to call its own, his accomplishments have made our state better and brought more opportunities to its people,” Kemp said. said on X. “His loved ones and the entire team at Tyler Perry Studios will be in our thoughts and prayers as they mourn this loss.”
CNN’s Lisa Respers France, Kia Fatahi and Chris Boyette contributed to this report.