According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the aircraft is a 2023 Vans RV-12iS owned by Mensch, who lives in Fayetteville.

Tyler Perry Studios released this statement Saturday morning: “We are incredibly saddened by the passing of our dear friend Steve Mensch. Steve was a valued member of our team for more than eight years and was well-liked in the Atlanta community. It’s hard to imagine not seeing him smiling in the halls. We will miss him very much. Our condolences go out to his family as we all extend our prayers to them.”

Photo credit: TYLER PERRY STUDIOS

Photo credit: TYLER PERRY STUDIOS

“I am heartbroken by the loss of my friend and colleague,” said Gannon Murphy, president of Cinelease Studios in Atlanta. “He often spoke with so much love for his family. My thoughts are with you during this difficult time. We will really miss Steve.”

Mensch, married to his wife Danila and father of three children, was 62 years old.

A 1985 graduate of the University at Buffalo, Mensch worked at Embassy Suites and AT&T before entering the entertainment industry as general manager and vice president of sales at Features Systems Inc., which rented camera equipment and grip equipment.

According to Ric Reitz, an actor who was instrumental in creating the current film and television tax credit system, he was one of the key people who put the state of Georgia on the radar of Hollywood producers in the 1990s. Mensch, he said, helped found the lobbying group Georgia Production Partnership and served as president for several terms.

“He was trying to formulate the vision for the market before the Olympics and wanted to create a think tank of people in the community to make Georgia competitive,” Reitz said. “He was an important figure in our growth into a strong film and television market.”

Mensch joined Turner Broadcasting in 2005, where he managed studio facilities and became director of strategic production partnerships.

He took over Tyler Perry Studios in 2016 after a year at a studio in China and a few months running Third Rail Studios in Doraville.

In an interview published on TylerPerryStudios.com, Mensch explained why he enjoyed working at the studio, which was formerly Fort McPherson, an Army post. “The most humbling part of my job is being on the job every day. “The history that has been written here and the decisions that have impacted the world from the buildings I walk through every day are, as I said, humbling,” he said.

During a tour of the 330-acre studio with the AJC in 2019, Mensch noted that this was the first major studio in many years to expand not only stage spaces but also a sizable backdrop piece, which included a replica of the White House, a restaurant, a lakefront cabin, a trailer park, suburban homes and an airliner.

“It’s really cool to be on this site every day,” he said. “I went to Disney and saw pictures of Walt. In 100 years, people will drive through here and see pictures of Tyler.”

According to the Vans website, the human-flown aircraft is “a two-seat, all-metal side-by-side aircraft with a large cabin that seats passengers in front of the wing spar to ensure maximum space and excellent visibility.”

Savannah Sicurella contributed to this story.