NAMPA, Idaho — The National Transportation Safety Board's (NTSB) preliminary report into the crash that killed pilots Roland Steadham and Dallin Laufenberg quotes witnesses who say they saw the plane flying extremely low.
Although the final cause of the crash has yet to be determined, Senior Reporter Roland Beres spoke with two pilots who hope this tragedy will raise awareness regarding the dangers of low-level flying.
WATCH: Understanding the very real dangers of flying too low
Nearly half of all general aviation crashes, according to the FAA, take place during takeoff or landing — moments when pressure to perform is at its peak because there's no margin for error.
“Altitude is your friend. It gives you more time to react should you have a mechanical failure," explained pilot Arlyn Miller.
And yet, since flying airplanes first began, there's been an undying fascination with flying close to the ground.
“You can see things that you can't ever see in an automobile— you know— driving along a road,” adds Miller, who is a designated pilot examiner for the FAA. He's also one of the few pilots trained to fly low, from tracking animal herds to crop dusting.
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"The low-level environment was oftentimes associated with my job and work. So, you're in it all the time— you want to make it as safe as you can," said Miller
The witnesses cited in the NTSB report indicate that the plane was flying as low as 50 feet off the ground at some points. The report also notes that power lines crossed the reservoir about 150 to 200 feet above the water. The plane's landing gear showed impact marks consistent with striking those lines, and witnesses reported a brief loss of power to nearby homes at the time of the crash.
Pilot instructor Robert Katz reviewed the preliminary findings, and though he wouldn't go on camera, he offered a blunt assessment of the pilot.
“I guess you could say he was also exceeding the operating limitations of the airplane,” claimed Katz.
The NTSB has not yet released the cause of the crash or who was at the controls at the time.
Katz said he regularly speaks publicly about fatal accidents to help other pilots learn from them. It's an activity that doesn't exactly endear him to the tight-knit pilot community.
“I don't really care what people think I have to say about this,” said Katz, “If they're offended, I hope they'll do something about it — you know, like learn from the mistakes of others and our own past experiences."
Katz concluded with a direct appeal to local pilots: "Don't think for one second it can't happen to you."
The official cause of the January crash may not be released for more than a year, but we do know the weather was good that day.
The report notes clear skies and good visibility at the time of the crash.
Federal aviation regulation 91.119 requires pilots to stay above 500 feet, except over open water or sparsely populated areas.
Katz and Miller both said stricter regulations aren't the answer. In their view, the best thing that can come out of this tragedy is that it convinces other pilots that flying low isn't worth the risk.
