EMMETT, Idaho — The Gem County Coroner has confirmed the identity of the second victim in Tuesday's deadly plane crash on the Payette River as Dallin Laufenberg of Meridian.
Laufenberg was on board with CBS 2 Chief Meteorologist Roland Steadham when the plane went down in a remote part of the Payette River in Gem County's Black Canyon.
The Gem County Sheriff's Office says the small plane clipped a power line just before 11 a.m. Tuesday morning.
Both men were active members of the local aviation community. Laufenberg served as the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association liaison for the Nampa Airport, while Steadham remained a longtime member of the Idaho Aviation Association.
Watch to learn more about Laufenberg and Steadham's roles in the aviation community.
"Roland, being a seasoned pilot for decades, Dallin being in his first decade— so they both brought a different element as far as how aviation is looked at," said Andrew George, president of the Idaho Aviation Association.
Laufenberg had been in his AOPA role for about a year, serving as an intermediary between the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association and the airport.
"Dallin's role was to help support their network of information flow to the AOPA," George said.
The two men represented different stages of aviation experience, but both shared a deep passion for flying.
"Roland and Dallin together represented a really unique picture of aviation," George said. "Roland, being a YouTube guy and making all of his videos and things like that, and he was very young at heart in regards to all the influencing that he would be involved in. And then here's Dallin, a young pilot, you know, just taking it in like a sponge. So I think that was the cool part of their relationship."
George described Steadham as generous with his time and knowledge, often taking people flying and introducing them to aviation. Steadham was also known for featuring viewer-submitted photos and videos on his weather forecasts.
"I would send [Roland] pictures of when I was flying the backcountry and the weather conditions and unique things, and he'd put it up on his little, you know, 10-15 second snippet before the weather forecast and you know, 'Andrew George sent me this,' and he would do that a lot, not just for me, but a lot of people would send him those little blurbs about something going on in the backcountry," George recalled.
Following the crash, several people commented on Idaho News 6's online story asking about aerial markers in the Black Canyon area. Those questions were taken to Idaho Power and Caldwell's Director of Aviation, Scott Swanson.
Swanson explained that FAA standards require structures over 200 feet high to have some type of lighting or markings.
"The only time they will not is if the FAA has determined it's not going to be a hazard if it's not marked, but that's very few and far between," Swanson said.
Idaho Power provided a statement addressing the power line safety questions:
"First and foremost, we extend our deepest sympathies to the victims’ families, friends, and communities they were a part of. This tragedy has had a profound impact on so many. At Idaho Power, safety comes first in everything we do, so an event such as this one hits especially hard.
Our initial evaluation indicates the powerline over Black Canyon complied with current requirements of the FAA and Idaho Division of Aeronautics, which regulate aviation safety for powerlines and other structures."
The investigation process will be lengthy, according to Swanson, who noted that NTSB investigations can take 12 to 24 months — a difficult waiting period for families seeking answers.
"What happened was a tragedy, not only for families involved but also for the Treasure Valley in general," Swanson said.
The aviation community is struggling with the loss while waiting for answers about what caused the crash.
"I think we're all a little stunned, you know, and emotionally detached until we understand really what happened," George said. "We're all very eager to understand all the aspects of what occurred, but in the same breath, we want to make sure that we hear it correctly and assess the information properly."
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"I think the thing to recognize was Roland was a very competent pilot. Roland was very good at his craft, not only in flying but obviously bringing the aviation to the public, and I think you have to lean back on that a little bit to understand that he's not going to jeopardize, you know, his love of family, his love of aviation, and or passengers in any regard," George said.
"Roland was definitely instrumental in bringing aviation issues as well as just aviation as a whole to the public, so you can't, you certainly can't refute that," George added. "He was energetic. He was extroverted. He was ready to put himself out there and enjoy life."
Local authorities have turned the crash investigation over to the FAA and NTSB.
