BOISE, Idaho (CBS2) — The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released the preliminary investigation report into the airplane crash that claimed the lives of CBS2 Chief Meteorologist Roland Steadham and Dallin Laufenberg.
The two men were flying in an amateur-built, experimental plane, according to the NTSB.
The report goes on to detail their final flight. The two men departed the airport shortly after 10:20 a.m. on January 27, 2026. After flying for roughly 20 minutes, according to the report, Roland’s plane headed northeast toward Black Canyon reservoir. A witness interviewed by the NTSB during the investigation said that he and his wife saw a red and gray plane flying about 50 ft or less above the Payette River. The witness said he first saw the plane heading from south to north, then back from north to south. That’s when the witness said he lost sight of the plane as it disappeared behind the trees. According to the report, the witness lost power at his house around 11:05 a.m…