Idaho TV Meteorologist Roland Steadham Killed in Small‑Plane Crash

Roland Steadham, the 67‑year‑old chief meteorologist for Boise CBS affiliate KBOI‑TV, was killed along with another man when their small aircraft clipped a power line and crashed onto the frozen Payette River near Montour, Idaho, on the morning of Jan. 27, 2026. The Gem County Sheriff’s Office said it received a 10:58 a.m. report of the crash and that both male occupants were fatally injured after the plane struck a line and came down on the ice; authorities have not yet said who was piloting. Steadham, a longtime forecaster who had worked in Idaho for roughly a decade and was known for his on‑air storm coverage, owned a small plane and frequently flew recreationally. The FAA confirmed the two-person crash and said it and the NTSB will investigate, with NTSB taking the lead on determining cause, as is standard in U.S. aviation accidents. The incident adds to the tally of general‑aviation crashes that federal investigators track each year, and will focus attention on power‑line hazards and winter flying conditions around small communities outside Boise.