Steve Mensch, president of Tyler Perry Studios, dead after plane crash in Florida, reports say

Steve Mensch, the president and general manager of Tyler Perry Studios, was killed when the single-engine plane he was piloting crashed Friday night in Florida, according to multiple reports.

The Federal Aviation Administration said a single-engine plane with only the pilot on board crashed around 8 p.m. local time in Homosassa, Florida. The Citrus County Sheriff’s Office identified Mensch as the victim, NBC and CNN reported.

Tyler Perry Studios confirmed the death in a statement to multiple media outlets.

“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,” the studio said in the statement sent to NBC. “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.”

Initial reports of the crash came from the sheriff’s office, which in a Facebook post said the crash closed parts of Highway 19. In a later update by the office, they said all lanes reopened around 2:30 a.m. Saturday morning.

The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating.

Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at fernando.cervantes@gannett.com and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.