Former two-time Cy Young Award winner and eight-time All Star Roy Halladay was killed when his ICON A5 light sport aircraft crashed in the Gulf of Mexico.
After initial reports couldn’t confirm the identity of the pilot, it was soon confirmed that it was indeed Halladay.
The deceased has been confirmed as Roy Doc Halladay.
— Pasco Sheriff (@PascoSheriff) November 7, 2017
A viewer had sent in video of the wreckage. The tail number of the plane matched videos and photos posted to Halladay’s twitter account.
I keep telling my dad flying the Icon A5 low over the water is like flying a fighter jet! His response….. I am flying a fighter jet!! pic.twitter.com/30eVjz9eS6
— Roy Halladay (@RoyHalladay) October 31, 2017
I’m really not big on posting pic’s of my stuff and I’ll never be on Cribs… but this A5 is so outrageous I’d feel guilty not sharing pics! pic.twitter.com/UUmZMfgsff
— Roy Halladay (@RoyHalladay) October 17, 2017
According to the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, the crash took place at approximately 1 p.m. 10 miles west of St. Petersburg.
Halladay received the first model of the plane, and the company featured him in an article detailing it.
“I’ve been dreaming about flying since I was a boy but was only able to become a pilot once I retired from baseball,” Halladay said in the article. “I’ve owned other aircraft, but no aircraft embodies the adventure or captured the dream of flying like the A5. Not only is it the safest and easiest aircraft I’ve ever flown, it is hands-down the most fun. The beaches, lakes, and waterways my family and I get to explore around Florida are mind-blowing.”
“Words don’t do justice to what the A5 allows us to experience,” he continued. “Even my wife, who used to be uncomfortable in small planes, now asks where we should take the A5 for the weekend. I’m honored to own the first A5 Founders Edition.”
According to reports, the company has been notified of the crash and is in the process of gathering information.
Halladay was the first draft selection of the Toronto Blue Jays and played for them from 1998 to 2009. After being traded to the Philadelphia Phillies, he threw the 20th perfect game in MLB history. In his first career postseason start, he threw the second no-hitter in postseason history.
