Former Phillies pitcher Tyson Brummett dies in Utah plane crash

AMERICAN FORK, Utah (WPVI) -- A former Philadelphia Phillies pitcher was killed in a plane crash in rural Utah.

The Utah County Sheriff's Office said the small plane left from the South Valley Regional Airport in West Jordan and crashed near Box Elder Peak in American Fork Canyon just before 8 a.m. Friday.

All four people on board did not survive.

The pilot was identified as former MLB pitcher 35-year-old Tyson Brummett of Salt Lake City, Utah. The passengers were identified as Alex Blackhurst Ruegner, 35, Elaine W. Blackhurst, 60, and her husband Douglas Robinson Blackhurst, 62, all were from Riverton, Utah. Elaine and Douglas were Alex's aunt and uncle.

Brummett was drafted by the Phillies in 2007 out of UCLA. He pitched one game for the Phillies in 2012, striking two batters in a Phillies loss to the Washington Nationals.

Along with playing for the Phillies, Brummett also was part of the Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers organizations.

The Phillies issued a statement Saturday morning:

"The Phillies organization sends heartfelt condolences to the family of 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."

Witness Gregg Rawlings was hiking with his sons in the area and saw the crash.

"As it got closer and closer, it started to make a strong right-hand turn and, coming out of that turn, the wings seemed to go back and forth a little bit. But it dipped to the right again and the plane went into a downward corkscrew motion," Rawlings said.

Rawlings called 911.

The crash was in such a remote area investigators and search crews had to be flown to the site.

"NTSB is investigating the Friday, July 3, 2020 crash in Alpine, UT involving a Cessna 172. The NTSB is not traveling to the crash scene at this time," the National Transportation Safety Board said in a tweet.