Former Major League Baseball player Tyson Brummett was among the four people who died Friday morning in a small plane crash in Utah.
The accident happened just before 8 a.m. near Box Elder Peak in American Fork Canyon, the Utah County Sheriff’s Office said. All four people on the plane died on impact.
Authorities identified the other victims as Alex Blackhurst Ruegner, 35; and Ruegner’s aunt and uncle Elaine W. Blackhurst, 60, and Douglas Robinson Blackhurst, 62. All were residents of Riverton.
Brummett, 35, of Salt Lake City, was the pilot.
The plane left South Valley Regional Airport in West Jordan, Utah, around 7 am, Sheriff Sgt. Spencer Cannon told NBC News in a phone interview on Saturday. He said he believes the group was taking a walk and was heading back to the airport when the accident occurred.
“It is a sad thing,” he said.
The sheriff’s office said in a press release that a man and his two sons were walking through the area when they saw the plane begin to turn and then spiral down.
“The witness said the plane disappeared from view and moments later he heard the impact,” the statement said.
The man had to go upstairs to receive the reception and be able to ask for help. “The witness then got off the plane and verified that the occupants died on impact,” the sheriff’s office said.
The plane crashed about 15 miles from the airport, according to Cannon. He said Friday morning the weather was warm with some clouds, “but mostly clear skies.”
The cause of the accident remains under investigation.
Brummett was drafted by the Phillies in 2007 and pitched a game for them in 2012. He was on the Phillies system from 2007-12, pitching 110 total innings at Triple A Lehigh Valley, NBC Sports reported.
The Philadelphia team released a statement Saturday about his death.
“The Phillies organization sends condolences to the family and friends of former pitcher Tyson Brummett, along with three members of the Ruegner and Blackhurst families, who tragically died in a plane crash yesterday morning.”
Before playing professionally, Brummett was at UCLA Bruins. Another former Bruin, Cody Decker, tweeted a tribute to him.
“I just want them to know that Tyson was an amazing baseball player,” Decker wrote. “An amazing teammate. And an even better person. I’m proud to have met him, let alone call him a friend. He was special.”
