Former Major League Baseball Pitcher Roy Halladay Dies In Plane Crash In The Gulf of Mexico 

Roy Halladay, a retired pitcher who spent 15 years in Major League Baseball, died in a small plane crash on Tuesday. He was 40.

Halladay’s ICON A5 light sport aircraft crashed about 10 miles west of St. Petersburg, Florida. It was recovered in the Gulf of Mexico. He was the only one on board, the Pasco County Sheriff confirmed in a statement obtained by PEOPLE.

Halladay made his major league debut on September 20, 1998, when he was 21. He played for the Toronto Blue Jays for 11 seasons before being traded to the Philadelphia Phillies for the last three years of his career.

He retired due to a persistent back injury in 2013, but continued to be a guest instructor for both the Blue Jays and the Phillies.

We are saddened by the tragic news that Roy Halladay, 2-time Cy Young Award winner & 8-time All-Star, has died in a plane crash. He was 40. pic.twitter.com/SOFv3bOLyt

I have dreamed about owning a A5 since I retired! Real life is better then my dreams!! Thx Kirk & everyone @ICONAircraft pic.twitter.com/wkk6TtjAY4

What do clouds feel like? I didn’t know either until I got my new Icon A5! I’m getting bruises on my arms from constantly pinching myself! pic.twitter.com/BaObEUj3Xo

A little flying with pilot Roy ✈️ @RoyHalladay pic.twitter.com/tOLxWyGldI

After receiving the ICON aircraft earlier this fall, Halladay spoke to the company about how much he loved flying. The company posted the interview on their website.

“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. “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. Even my wife, who used to be uncomfortable in small planes, now asks where we should take the A5 for the weekend.”

He also tweeted about his new plane numerous times in recent weeks, in posts that seem haunting in retrospect.

“I have dreamed about owning a A5 since I retired!” he tweeted. “Real life is better than my dreams!!”

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