Roy Halladay has died in a plane crash in the Gulf of Mexico.

Halladay, 40, had been an amateur pilot since retiring after the 2013 season.

The crash took place in Holiday, Florida, which is just north of Clearwater and Dunedin. It was reported by a private resident at 12:06 p.m. Tuesday, according to the Pasco County Sheriff's Office. The plane was found upside-down.

Halladay had resided in the area with his wife, Brandy, and two sons.

"Many know Roy as a Cy Young winner, future Hall of Famer, one of the best pitchers to ever pitch in the game of baseball. We know Roy as a person, as a caring husband who loved his wife Brandy, he loved his two boys tremendously," sheriff Chris Nocco said. "He coached their baseball team. I can tell you when he spoke of his family, he spoke of pride and I can tell you to Brandy and their boys, the entire family, we are so sorry for your loss and I can tell you we are praying for you. We know you're a family of faith and our hearts and prayers go out to you because we know how much he meant to you and I can tell you from the bottom of our hearts, we know how much you all meant to him."

The son of a pilot, flying has long been a passion of Halladay's.

"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 told IconAircraft.com in October.

He was flying a Model Year 2018 A5 plane made by ICON Aircraft, the first of its kind.

"She's fought me the whole way," Halladay said of his wife in a video on the ICON Aircraft website.

"I was very against it," she added.

Despite spending just four seasons in Philadelphia, Halladay is one of the more beloved figures in recent Phillies history and spent time in his post-playing career as a special instructor at Phillies spring training. He won the Cy Young award in 2010, his first season with the Phils, and was the runner-up the following season. He pitched a perfect game in Miami in 2010 and authored one of only two playoff no-hitters in baseball history that October against the Reds.

As news of Halladay's tragic death came out, players all around baseball reacted with shock and sadness.

"We are numb over the very tragic news about Roy Halladay's untimely death," the Phillies said in a statement. "There are no words to describe the loss of one of the most respected human beings to ever play the game. It is with the heaviest of hearts that we pass along our condolences to Brandy, Ryan and Braden."