Roland Steadham, 67, chief meteorologist at Boise-based CBS affiliate CBS2, was one of two people killed in Tuesday’s plane crash on the Payette River near Emmett, Idaho.
Online flight data show the plane lost contact at 10:55 a.m., just 12 minutes after takeoff from Emmett Airport.
“Preliminary information indicates that a small plane clipped a power line and crashed upon the ice in the river,” the Gem County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement on Facebook on Tuesday.
Rescue teams were seen out in a boat on the freezing cold water in pictures shared by Idaho6 News.
The identity of the other man on board the aircraft was not immediately released, and no further details about the plane model — registered to Northwest Registered Agent LLC — or the circumstances of the crash were available.
Steadham was “widely respected as an accomplished pilot,” and “operated a small aircraft out of Emmett,” CBS2 reported in an article announcing the tragic news.
It isn’t known if he was piloting the aircraft at the time of the crash.
An experienced pilot with more than 3,000 flight hours under his belt, Steadham visited students at Payette River Regional Technical Academy’s aviation class in Emmett just a week before his untimely death to talk about his passion.
“The last thing he said before leaving class was, ‘I’ve enjoyed years of flying … it’s been so good to me … and I’d really encourage you guys to pursue aviation,’” teacher Jim Baker told Idaho6 News.
Also an avid skydiver, Steadham graduated from both Brigham Young University and the University of Utah.
He worked at several different outlets as chief meteorologist, including Miami-based NBC affiliate WTVJ, CBS affiliate KUTV in Salt Lake City, ABC affiliate KTVX also in Salt Lake City, and finally CBS2 in Boise.
Shocked viewers in Idaho paid tribute to Steadham.
“He was a friend that my wife and I would see often at the McDonald’s here in Star. He always had time to talk about the weather and his love of flying his plane,” one wrote on Facebook.
“God bless Roland’s family! We lost a beautiful person today doing what he loved to do,” another wrote.
Steadham leaves behind a wife, six children, and several grandchildren.
The cause of Tuesday’s crash is still under investigation, the Gem County Sheriff’s Office said.
