Just days after MLB star pitcher Roy Halladay‘s passing, video has emerged showing the former Toronto Blue Jays and Philadelphia Phillies player performing some concerning aerial maneuvers over the water.
The video recorded by Bill Smith shows Halladay’s $389,000 ICON A5 plane over the Gulf of Mexico on Oct. 20, appearing to show the 40-year-old was practicing a water landing despite not landing on the water.
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The person who shot the video told the New York Daily News that he only started recording because the plane was “so close to the water at a high rate of speed,” he was afraid it would crash.
Two weeks following the video, Halladay’s plane crashed near the same area, killing the ex-MLB star.
Multiple witnesses tell TMZ Sports that Halladay had been making “similar changes in altitude” just like in the video from October, with one telling TMZ it was “aggressive flying.”
Earlier this week, Halladay’s family released a statement clarifying that he was not a reckless flyer and that they were heartbroken over the loss.
“Roy grew up with a passion for planes and always had the goal of becoming a pilot,” the statement read. “Since retiring from baseball, he has been actively studying, accumulating the required flight hours and obtaining multiple pilot certifications and licenses. Just as he was known for his work ethic in baseball, he was also widely respected by those who knew him in the aviation community for his hard work, attention to detail and dedication to safety while flying. He treated his passion for aviation with the same joy and enthusiasm as he did his love for baseball.”
A celebration of his life will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2017 at 4 p.m. at Spectrum Field in Clearwater, Florida. The service will be open to the public.
