Former Phillies pitcher, three others die in Utah plane crash

Former Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Tyson Brummett was among four people killed when a small plane crashed in Utah on Friday, authorities said.

The plane crashed near Box Elder Peak in American Fork Canyon, the Utah County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

The crash was witnessed by a man out hiking with his two sons, who called 911, the news release said.

“The witness said the plane spiraled out of his view and moments later he heard the impact,” the release said.

The sheriff’s office search and rescue team along with a Utah Department of Public Safety helicopter and Lone Peak Fire and Ambulance were called to the scene. The four victims died on impact, the news release said.

The Sheriff’s office said that Brummett, 35, had been piloting the plane. Also killed were Alex Blackhurst Ruegner, 35; Elaine W. Blackhurst, 60; and Douglas Robinson Blackhurst, 62, all from Riverton.

Brummett was drafted in the fifth round by the Phillies in the 2007 MLB draft and spent five years in the team’s minor league system, making one appearance in the majors.

In a statement, the Philadelphia Phillies said: “The Phillies organization sends heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of former pitcher Tyson Brummett, along with three members of the Ruegner and Blackhurst families, who tragically passed away in a plane crash yesterday morning.”

The NTSB and FAA are investigating the cause of the crash.