Nov. 7 (UPI) — Former Major League Baseball pitcher Roy Halladay died after his plane crashed into the Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday, officials said.
Halladay’s body was recovered after his two-passenger ICON A5 light sport aircraft crashed 10 miles west of St. Petersburg at about 1 p.m., the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office said.
The sheriff’s office said no mayday calls were made prior to the crash and no other bodies were recovered.
Halladay, 40, was a two-time Cy Young award-winning pitcher and eight-time All-Star who played for the Toronto Blue Jays and Philadelphia Phillies during his 16-year career.
Halladay and his father were known aviation enthusiasts and the former pitcher received the first 2018 model of the ICON A5 aircraft, WTSP reported.
“I’ve been dreaming about flying since I was a boy but was only able to become a pilot once I retired from baseball,” he said in a feature by ICON about the plane.
The company was notified of the crash and has launched an investigation.
