Four members of one family were returning from a surprise visit to a high school volleyball game when the aircraft went down.
DELLONA, Wis. — Six people, including a grandmother, two of her adult daughters and her 13-year-old grandson, died when a small plane crashed in a wooded area near Mirror Lake State Park after the pilot reported ice building on the aircraft’s wings, authorities said.
The Sauk County Sheriff’s Office identified the victims as Ronald R. Riek, 63, of Woodville; Tyler J. Harvey, 36, of Cadott; Mary K. Brion, 67, of Nelson; Amanda M. Haremza, 45, of Altoona; Rylan Haremza, 13, of Altoona; and Kayla C. Turpin, 39, of Eau Claire. All six people aboard the Piper aircraft died in the Oct. 13 crash. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating and has not announced a probable cause.
Brion, Turpin, Haremza and Rylan Haremza were members of the same family. They had traveled to southeastern Wisconsin to surprise Brion’s granddaughters at a high school volleyball match and were heading home when the plane crashed, according to family members who spoke with The Associated Press. Brion’s husband, David Brion, said his wife loved watching her children and grandchildren compete in volleyball and was excited about the trip.
The plane was traveling from Kenosha to Menomonie when it went down in the Town of Dellona, near Wisconsin Dells. The Sauk County Sheriff’s Office said dispatchers began receiving reports of a downed aircraft at about 9:30 p.m. Emergency crews found the wreckage in dense woods near Park Lane and Mirror Lake State Park. Five adults and one child were aboard, and authorities said there were no survivors. No one on the ground was injured, and no structures were reported damaged.
Preliminary information from the NTSB showed that the Piper PA-46 was flying at about 24,000 feet when the pilot reported icing on the wings and asked air traffic control for permission to descend. The request was approved. Investigators said the aircraft then entered a right descending turn that increased in rate before communications and tracking data were lost. The information describes the aircraft’s final known movements but does not establish why the crash occurred.
Weather in the area included rain and thunderstorms at the time. David Brion told the AP that his wife had called before the flight and said there was a storm and the group might have to fly around it. Investigators will have to determine how the weather, reported icing and other factors affected the aircraft. The NTSB has not reached a conclusion about the cause of the crash.
Riek was an experienced pilot and the owner of the aircraft, according to the AP. Federal Aviation Administration records reviewed by the news organization showed that he held an airline transport pilot rating. Daniel Johnson, chairman of the Menomonie Airport Commission, described Riek as an active member of the local aviation community who had years of flying experience. Riek also owned Woodville Warehousing and Distributing, a logistics company in western Wisconsin.
Harvey was a certified flight instructor who worked for Gibson Aviation Services, Johnson told the AP. The deaths of Riek and Harvey added to grief in the Menomonie-area aviation community, which experienced another fatal aircraft crash in 2025. Riek had helped organize a fundraiser following that earlier crash for the children of a couple who died, according to the AP.
Family members also remembered 13-year-old Rylan Haremza as an active child who enjoyed hunting, fishing, football and wrestling. His grandfather told the AP that the family rarely had opportunities to attend the granddaughters’ volleyball matches because they lived several hours away, making the flight to the game a special trip for the family.
NTSB investigators began documenting the wreckage, including the cabin, cockpit, engine and propeller, after reaching the crash site. Investigators also planned to search the surrounding woods for additional aircraft pieces that may have separated from the main wreckage. The agency is expected to examine the aircraft, pilot information, weather conditions, air traffic communications and other evidence before determining a probable cause.
The crash remains under federal investigation. Authorities have released the identities of all six people killed, but the NTSB has not issued a final finding on what caused the aircraft to lose control and crash near Mirror Lake State Park.
Author note: Last updated October 17, 2026.