Roy Halladay’s Plane Crashes; One Confirmed Dead

Some very sad news is emerging out of Florida on Tuesday afternoon.  A plane registered to former Phillies pitcher Roy Halladay has crashed into the Gulf of Mexico in Pasco County, Florida. One has been confirmed dead in the plane crash, though they have not yet identified the deceased.

The Pasco County Sheriff's office issued the following press release:

We cannot confirm how many people were on the plane at this time. The recovery group is doing a search now.  The call came in from a residence near the plane crash.  The individuals from the crash have not been confirmed and is still under investigation.  The Florida Fish and Wildlife, U.S. Coast Guard, Pasco Fire Department and Pasco Sheriff's Office are all responding to the scene.

We cannot confirm the flight plan or if there was one as of this time. The recovery team is doing a search of the plane and around it.  We have not confirmed survivors at this point. One body was located.

The plane, however, has been identifed as being Halladay's plane.

Ryan Bass of WTSP News in Tampa reports that the tail number of the plane that crashed belongs to Halladay.  Images showed the tail number.

Halladay's father was a corporate pilot and he always dreamed of getting a licensed pilot.  "When I retired that was one of the first things I wanted to do," Halladay said in an ICON A5 plane advertisement.  Halladay received the very first plane of the 2018 edition of the ICON A5 just last month, as chronicled on the plane manufacturer's website.

A press conference has been scheduled for 4:15 p.m. when authorities will identify the identity of the deceased.  A second is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. with more details on the plane crash.  Stay tuned.