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The Latest on What We Know About Roy Halladay's Fatal Plane Crash

The 40-year-old pitcher tragically passed away on Tuesday afternoon after crashing his plane off Florida's Gulf Coast in Pasco County.

Nihal Kolur

The Latest on What We Know About Roy Halladay's Fatal Plane Crash
The Latest on What We Know About Roy Halladay's Fatal Plane Crash /

Former Major League pitcher Roy Halladay has died after his plane crashed off Florida's Gulf Coast in Pasco County on Tuesday afternoon, the Pasco Sheriff's office announced.

Here's the latest on what we know about the crash.

• Halladay was the lone occupant in his two-person, single-engine ICON A5 light sports aircraft. 

• The plane went down into the water about a quarter mile west of Ben Pilot Point in New Port Richey.

• No mayday calls were made to Tampa Air Traffic Control.

• The 911 call came in at 12:06 p.m. ET.

• National Transportation Safety Board investigators are scheduled to arrive at the crash scene Tuesday evening. "The FAA will release the aircraft registration after local authorities release that information. The Federal Aviation Administration will investigate. The National Transportation Safety Board will determine the probable cause of the accident," FAA spokesperson Kathleen Bergen said.​

• The specifics of the crash are still under investigation and work to recover debris from the plane will continue for the next few hours, according to the sheriff.

• ICON Aircraft said they were notified of the crash and are investigating the incident.

• This isn't the first time an ICON A5 aircraft has unexpectedly crashed. In May, the company's lead aeronautical engineer Jon Karkow, 55, and his colleague Cagri Sever, 41, were killed during a crash in Napa County, Calif. An investigation suggested the crash was attributable to pilot error.

• In April, an A5 aircraft partially sank into the ocean off Biscayne National Park in Miami after a landing mishap. Both the pilot and passenger escaped unhurt and did not require medical attention, but the aircraft sustained substantial damage.

• The aircraft, known for its forgiving flight characteristics, folding wings and appeal to recreational pilots, made its maiden flight in 2008. ICON built the wing of the A5 to remain stable even when airflow is disrupted over certain areas, which can happen when the aircraft flies too slowly or if the wings are pitched too vertically.

• In October, the company featured Halladay in an article about him receiving the first 2018 model of the plane. "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. "Not only is it the safest and easiest aircraft I've ever flown, it is hands-down the most fun."

• Halladay's father is a pilot and the former pitcher has often expressed his love for flying on social media. ICON CEO and Founder Kirk Hawkins said last month, "Roy gets it; he epitomizes the spirit of ICON. While he's an experienced pilot and flies his own turbine aircraft for A-to-B transportation, his true passion is for the adventure of sport flying, which is why he fell in love with the A5. I was even more excited to see his wife Brandy's excitement for the A5. The pure joy on her and Roy's faces talking about flying the A5 together is exactly why we started ICON."

• On Thursday, Halladay's family released a statement about his death:

Halladay was 40 years old.

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Nihal Kolur
NIHAL KOLUR

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