Carbon Cub Crash Near Montour, Idaho, Kills Pilot and Passenger

An experimental CCX-1865 Carbon Cub (registration N126C) crashed near Montour, Idaho, on Jan. 27, 2026, at about 11 a.m. MST, killing the pilot and a passenger. The aircraft was operating under Part 91 as a personal flight when wreckage was found inverted in shallow, ice-covered water on the Black Canyon Reservoir.

Investigators noted the left main landing gear had separated and struck power lines, briefly cutting electricity for thousands of Idaho Power customers. The aircraft descended from 4,400 feet MSL, turned 180 degrees over Montour, then impacted the ice, fracturing a large circle ahead of the fuselage. No pre-impact fire or explosion was detected.

The pilot, Roland Steadham, a Boise KBOI-TV meteorologist, and passenger Dallin Laufenberg were both pilot-rated. A witness in Montour described seeing a red and gray aircraft flying low over the river before it disappeared behind trees. The Gem County Sheriff's Office confirmed the aircraft clipped a power line just before 11 a.m. The NTSB has issued accident number WPR26FA091 and is reviewing ADS-B data and wreckage to determine probable cause.