Pitching sensation, Roy Halladay, is dead at the age of 40 after his ICON A5 amphibious aircraft crashed into the Gulf of Mexico on Nov. 7.  

Halladay was the only person on board the aircraft during the time of the crash, which occurred around Noon at about a quarter of a mile off the coast of New Port Richey, Florida.  The Pasco County Sheriff’s office responded to the incident after a call reported a sport plane crashed upside down into water six feet deep.

Minutes before the crash occurred, witnesses remembered seeing Halladay’s plane flying low and close to the water.

“All of us at Baseball are shocked and deeply saddened by the tragic passing of former Toronto Blue Jays and Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Roy Halladay,” MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement.

“A well-respected figure throughout the game, Roy was a fierce competitor during his 16-year career, which included eight All-Star selections, two Cy Young Awards, a perfect game and a postseason no-hitter.”

Halladay received his pilot’s license several years ago and tweeted photos last month of himself standing next to a new ICON A5 as part of the plane’s marketing campaign.

“I have 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 a story posted on Icon’s website to promote the A5.

The Icon A5 is no stranger to plain crashes.  In 2017 alone, there have already been three crashes, including the latest Roy Halladay crash, two of the three resulted in casualties.

On May 8, two ICON employees, the lead test pilot and the director of engineering, were killed in a crash that was said to be caused by “pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from terrain while maneuvering at a low altitude,” as stated in the National Transportation Safety Board report.

“We were devastated to learn that former MLB pitcher Roy Halladay died today in an accident involving an ICON A5 in the Gulf of Mexico,” the company said in a statement.

“We have gotten to know Roy and his family in recent months, and he was a great advocate and friend of ours. The entire ICON community would like to pass on our deepest condolences to Roy’s family and friends. ICON will do everything it can to support the accident investigation going forward, and we will comment further when more information is available.”

“Many of you know Roy as a Cy Young winner, future Hall of Famer, one of the best pitchers ever to pitch the game of baseball,” Sheriff Chris Nocco, of the Pasco Sheriff’s office, said. “We know Roy as a person, as a caring husband who loved his wife, Brandy. He loved his two boys tremendously … and we are so sad for your loss.”

According to the Tampa Bay Times, Halladay had resided in Odessa, Florida, since he retired and coached youth baseball teams there. In the spring, he was a volunteer assistant at Calvary Christian High, where his son Braden was a sophomore on the undefeated team, which won a state title last year.