A beloved, longtime Idaho television weatherman has been killed in a small plane crash near Emmett, Idaho.
On Tuesday, Roland Steadham, the longtime chief meteorologist for CBS2, was identified as one of two men who died when a small aircraft crashed near the Payette River.
The fatal crash was confirmed by the Gem County Sheriff’s Office.
In a statement, the station said:
“For the past decade, Roland Steadham guided people through storm after storm in Idaho.
“He loved to study the weather and shared it with people across Idaho.
“Roland’s excitement for the weather was contagious.”
Authorities said emergency crews responded at approximately 10:58 a.m. local time to reports of a plane crash just west of Montour, Idaho.
Preliminary information indicates the aircraft clipped a power line before crashing onto ice in the Payette River.
Both occupants of the plane were fatally injured.
Officials have not disclosed which individual was piloting the aircraft at the time of the crash.
Steadham, 67, was a devoted husband, father of six, and grandfather, according to the station.
“Roland often talked about his wife, Erin, and his six children and grandchildren,” the station said.
“Rarely did he have a conversation without sharing about his love for his family.”
In recent years, Steadham and his family enjoyed kayaking throughout Idaho and spending time together at home, according to colleagues.
Alongside his career in broadcast meteorology, Steadham was also a recreational pilot and owned a small aircraft.
“It was a hobby he enjoyed and often would share stories about local pilots and their accomplishments,” the station noted.
Steadham attended the University of Utah and Brigham Young University before beginning his meteorology career in 1995, according to his professional biography.
In a statement, the Federal Aviation Administration confirmed that a small aircraft carrying two people crashed into a frozen river near Emmett.
“The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board will investigate,” the agency said.
“The NTSB will be in charge of the investigation and will provide further updates.”
The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
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