EMMETT, Idaho — The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released a preliminary report on the Payette River plane crash that killed local meteorologist Roland Steadham and Meridian-resident Dallin Laufenberg on Jan. 27.
According to the preliminary NTSB report, the two pilots were aboard an "amateur-built, experimental CCX1865 Carbon Cub, N126C" when the crash occured.
Data obtained by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) indicates that the plane left the Emmett Airport at 10:42 a.m. with both individuals on board and proceeded to fly east.
The airplane's altitude ranged between 3,850 and 4,325 feet above sea level, and at one point, the plane made multiple maneuvers on the east side of Lanham Field, a private airport— circling one time in a counterclockwise direction before turning and circling a second time in a clockwise direction.
The plane then started heading east, following a path "that paralleled the south side of the Black Canyon Reservoir." Near the east side of the canyon, the plane began to descend from 4,400 feet above sea level to 3,950 feet above sea level.
The last recorded altitude came when the airplane was 1.5 miles west of Montour.
"Additional ADS-B data, provided from a third-party service provider showed the airplane continue to descend before it turned left about 180° over Montour. The ADS-B data temporarily ended when the airplane was over Montour," reads the NTSB report.
An eyewitness who was at home in Montour says he and his wife saw a red and grey airplane flying across the river at a low altitude, according to the report. The witness estimated that the plane was roughly 50 feet or less above the ground when he lost sight of it behind trees. The witness later confirmed that he lost power as a result of the plane crashing into a power line. Thousands of other Idaho Power customers also lost power as a result of the plane crash.
A second eyewitness shared a similar account, saying a plane flew by her house at a low altitude, just .7 miles from the crash site.
After the crash, "third-party ADS-B data reappeared and recorded the airplane about 2,125 ft msl and about 550 ft east of the accident site and about 440 ft east of a set of power distribution lines that crossed the reservoir from north to south about 150 to 200 ft above the water," reports the NTSB. There was no sign of a fire or explosion that could have led to the plane crash.
The plane's "left main landing gear" was later found underneath power lines near the crash site. Furthermore, the landing gear showed signs of impact marks "and striations to the leading edge of the forward strut and the left-side landing gear shock absorber."
The airplane was later recovered and brought to a secure facility for examination.
The FAA and Brad Damm of Cub Crafters participated in the NTSB report. Idaho News 6 will continue to follow this story as more information becomes available.
Read the full NTSB report —
