(Representative image): The Piper PA-46 Malibu was flying from Kenosha to Menomonie when it lost contact with air traffic control shortly before 10pm. The pilot, identified as longtime aviator Ron Riek, was also a prominent local warehouse owner.
An experienced pilot and five other people were killed when a six-seat plane crashed in a wooded area near Mirror Lake State Park in Wisconsin, US, on Tuesday night, after the pilot reported ice building up on its wings during a thunderstorm.
The Piper PA-46 Malibu was flying from Kenosha to Menomonie when it lost contact with air traffic control shortly before 10pm.The pilot, identified as longtime aviator Ron Riek, was also a prominent local warehouse owner. Authorities have not yet released the names of the five other victims. No one on the ground was injured.According to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the pilot reported icing on the wings while flying at 24,000 feet (7,315 metres) and requested permission to descend.
Air traffic control approved the request.The plane then began a right-hand descending turn. The rate of descent increased sharply before communications and tracking data were lost. The aircraft crashed near the popular tourist destination of Wisconsin Dells.Ice accumulation is a serious aviation hazard. Even a thin layer can disrupt airflow over a plane's wings and make it difficult to remain airborne.
Experienced pilot remembered as 'a good man'
Menomonie Airport Commission chairman Daniel Johnson confirmed Riek's death at a public meeting on Wednesday night.
He described the pilot, whom he had known for decades, as an experienced aviator and a close friend.“He was simply a good man. A highly experienced pilot, and this was simply a tragedy,” Johnson said.Federal Aviation Administration records show that Riek held an airline transport pilot rating. This indicates that he had at least 1,500 hours of flying experience and met the requirements for the highest level of pilot certification used by airlines.The NTSB is leading the investigation into the crash. Investigators are expected to examine the aircraft's history and previous crashes involving the Piper PA-46 Malibu, including incidents linked to icing.The agency conducted a safety study of seven crashes involving Piper aircraft between 1989 and 1991.Johnson said “the aircraft has a reputation of not doing well in thunderstorms.”
Second in 18 months
The latest crash has shaken the aviation community around Menomonie, which suffered another fatal accident last year.
Four people died in that crash.Riek had helped organise a fundraiser after the earlier accident to support the three young children of a couple who were killed."This is two fatal crashes in 18 months. We’ve lost a lot of friends,” Johnson said. “This creates a hole in the aviation community.”The crash occurred near Wisconsin Dells, a major tourist destination known for its concentration of waterparks. The area markets itself as the “Waterpark Capital of the World” and attracted more than five million visitors in 2025, according to state tourism officials.