Executive of Tyler Perry Studios Killed in Florida Plane Crash While Piloting

ATLANTA—The president of Tyler Perry Studios, located in Atlanta, tragically passed away Friday night due to a small plane crash while piloting over Florida’s Gulf Coast.

The studio announced on Saturday the loss of Steve Mensch, its 62-year-old president and general manager.

“We are deeply saddened by the loss of our dear friend Steve Mensch,” the studio expressed in a statement. “Steve was a valued member of our team for over eight years and was well-loved in the Atlanta community. It’s difficult to think of not seeing him smiling in the hallways. He will be dearly missed. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family during this challenging time.”

The crash occurred in Homosassa, approximately 60 miles (100 kilometers) north of Tampa. Images from the scene depict the plane resting upside down on a roadway. Both the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are conducting investigations.

The single-engine Vans RV-12IS was registered to Mensch at his residence in the Atlanta suburb of Fayetteville, according to FAA records.

Mensch was a strong advocate for maintaining Georgia’s film tax credit, which exceeds $1 billion annually. These substantial subsidies have played a crucial role in making Georgia a vibrant hub for film and television production in the United States.

Mensch entered the film industry after working with Feature Systems, a company providing equipment for movies. He was later recruited by Turner Broadcasting in Atlanta to manage studio operations, eventually rising to the role of director of strategic production partnerships. During that time, he actively lobbied for increased state support for film and television production.

Ric Reitz, an actor and creator of the tax credits, recounted to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution how Mensch played a pivotal role in marketing Georgia ahead of the 1996 Summer Olympics and was instrumental in establishing the Georgia Production Partnership, a lobbying group for the entertainment sector.

“He was focused on developing a vision for the industry even before the Olympics, seeking to create a think tank comprised of community members to enhance Georgia’s competitiveness,” Reitz remarked. “His influence was significant in our growth into a robust film and television market.”

After spending a year planning and constructing a large studio in China and a brief period assisting in the opening of Third Rail Studios in suburban Atlanta, Perry brought Mensch on board to help establish and manage his namesake studio in 2016. The studio occupies 330 acres (135 hectares) of a former Army base in southern Atlanta, which Perry acquired in 2015.

On the day of Mensch’s passing, Perry premiered “The Six Triple Eight,” a war drama featuring a predominantly Black and all-female battalion from World War II, filmed at the Atlanta studio.

Mensch is survived by his wife, Danila, and their three children.