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TV weatherman dies in small Idaho plane crash after aircraft clips power line
By Sarah Rumpf-Whitten
Published January 28, 2026
A longtime television weatherman has died in a small plane crash in Idaho earlier this week.
On Tuesday, Jan. 27, Roland Steadham, the chief meteorologist for CBS2, was named as one of the people who died in the two-person crash near Emmett, Idaho earlier that day, CBS affiliate KBOI announced.
"For the past decade, Roland Steadham guided people through storm after storm in Idaho," the station wrote. "He loved to study the weather and shared it with people across Idaho. Roland’s excitement for the weather was contagious."
The 67-year-old father of six died Tuesday when an aircraft crashed into the frozen Payette River after hitting a power line. (Facebook/ Roland Steadham)
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According to the Gem County Sheriff’s Office, officials responded to a report of a plane crash near the Payette River, just west of Montour, Idaho, on Tuesday at 10:58 a.m. local time.
Preliminary information, authorities said, indicated that the small plane clipped a power line and crashed upon the ice in the river. Both male occupants were "fatally injured" in the crash, authorities said.
Officials did not reveal who was flying the plane at the time of the incident.
Roland Steadham was a chief meteorologist at a CBS affiliate station in Boise. (Facebook/ Neki Mohan)
The chief meteorologist, 67, was a devoted husband, father of six and grandfather, the station said.
"Roland often talked about his wife, Erin, and his six children and grandchildren," KBOI said. "In recent years, he and his family have enjoyed their time kayaking throughout Idaho and spending time together grilling food in their backyard."
"Rarely did he have a conversation without sharing about his love for his family," the outlet said.
Along with his love of his family, Steadham owned a small aircraft and enjoyed recreational flying.
"It was a hobby he enjoyed and often would share stories about local pilots and their accomplishments," the outlet said.
Meteorologist Roland Steadham died in a plane crash on January 26, 2026. (Facebook/ Erin Steadham)
Steadham attended the University of Utah and Brigham Young University before beginning his career as a meteorologist in 1995, according to his LinkedIn page.
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In a statement to Fox News Digital, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed that a small aircraft carrying two people crashed into a frozen river near Emmett, Idaho.
"The FAA and NTSB will investigate. The NTSB will be in charge of the investigation and will provide further updates," the agency said.
https://www.foxnews.com/us/tv-weatherman-dies-small-idaho-plane-crash-after-aircraft-clips-power-line