Local
Six people from Wisconsin communities identified in fatal Sauk County plane crash
Authorities identified the six people killed when a Piper aircraft crashed Tuesday night in the Town of Dellona. Preliminary information from federal investigators says the pilot reported icing and requested a descent before the plane’s tracking data was lost.
The six people killed in a plane crash near Park Lane in Sauk County were identified Thursday 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.
The crash happened at about 9:30 p.m. Tuesday in the Town of Dellona, according to the Sauk County Sheriff’s Office. Sheriff Chip Meister said the victims included five adults and one child.
The aircraft was a Piper PA-46 on a personal flight returning from Kenosha to Menomonie, according to information from deputies and the Federal Aviation Administration.
In preliminary information released Wednesday, the National Transportation Safety Board said the plane was near Dellwood at 24,000 feet when the pilot reported icing and asked air traffic control for permission to descend. Controllers approved the request. The aircraft then entered a right-hand descending turn that increased in rate, after which communications and tracking data were lost, the NTSB said.
The FAA says icing can alter airflow over a plane’s wings, add drag and affect handling. The preliminary information does not establish what caused the crash. Investigators are examining the circumstances surrounding the loss of the aircraft.
Riek was a licensed pilot and local business owner. Authorities had not confirmed how the six people knew one another.