HOLIDAY, Fla. (AP) — Authorities have confirmed that former Major League Baseball pitcher Roy Halladay died in a small plane crash in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Florida.
Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco said during a news conference that Halladay’s ICON A5 went down about noon Tuesday near Holiday, Florida.
The sheriff’s office marine unit responded to the downed plane and found Halladay’s body. No survivors were found.
They said they couldn’t confirm if there were additional passengers on the plane or say where it was headed.
Halladay retired in 2013 after 12 seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays followed by four seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies.
UPDATE 11/8/17
VACAVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Executives and employees of the company behind the small sport plane that retired pitcher Roy Halladay was flying when he crashed near Florida say they are devastated to learn of his death.
California-based ICON Aviation issued a statement Tuesday saying, “We have gotten to know Roy and his family in recent months, and he was a great advocate and friend of ours.”
Halladay had gotten the plane less than a month ago, and posted on social media that he had dreamed about owning an A5.
The tiny amphibious craft is made for recreational pilots.
In May, the chief designer of the plane and the company’s director of engineering died in one of them, crashing during a flight at Lake Berryessa, California. Federal investigators blamed pilot error.
ICON says it will do all it can to support the investigation of Halladay’s crash.
