Six Wisconsin Residents, Including 13-Year-Old Ryan Haremza and Pilot Ronald R. Riek, Die in Sauk County Plane Crash
Ronald R. Riek, 63, Tyler J. Harvey, 36, Mary K. Brion, 67, Amanda M. Haremza, 45, Ryan Haremza, 13, and Kayla C. Turpin, 39, died when a Piper PA-46 crashed near Mirror Lake State Park in Sauk County, Wisconsin, on October 13, 2026.
The six residents came from Woodville, Cadott, Nelson, Altoona, and Eau Claire, and authorities reported no survivors.
Federal Aviation Administration records identified Riek as the pilot, while preliminary National Transportation Safety Board information indicated that the aircraft flew at 24,000 feet before Riek reported icing and requested permission to descend.
Controllers approved the descent before the aircraft entered an increasingly steep right-hand turn and lost communication and tracking contact.
The Menomonie Airport Commission identified Riek as an experienced pilot during its October 14 meeting.
Authorities had not publicly determined the cause as of October 16, 2026, and investigators continue reviewing the circumstances.
Wisconsin has recorded fatal plane crashes every year since 1968, including a July 2017 crash in Catawba that claimed six lives.
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