Roland Steadham
Meteorologist Killed in Idaho Plane Crash
Published
A local TV news meteorologist died in a plane crash Tuesday … the plane he was in crashed into an icy river near Emmett, Idaho, about 30 miles northwest of Boise.
KBOI-TV confirmed the station’s chief meteorologist, Roland Steadham, was on the plane. The other person on the plane was also killed … that person’s identity hasn’t been released.
The Gem County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement Steadham’s plane clipped a power line before crashing into ice on the river.
A large-scale power outage was caused by the power line being hit by the plane … power’s since been restored to the area around the crash, according to KTVB-TV.
It wasn’t specified if Steadham was flying the plane when the incident occurred … and the cause of the crash is currently under investigation. Investigators found GoPro cameras in the plane’s wreckage, which may have been recording during the crash, reports KIVI-TV.
Steadham, who worked as a meteorologist for 35 years, had racked up more than 3,000 flight hours as a pilot. He’d visited an aviation class at Payette River Regional Technical Academy and spoke about his love for flying just a week before the crash.