The Smart Marty Sky Dispatch
Husband of grandmother killed in Wisconsin Dells plane crash says "she just wanted to find her joy"
David Brion says his wife, Mary, called before takeoff to say there was a storm and they might have to go around it. "I don't know if they did or not," he said.
A small plane crash in Wisconsin Dells area killed six people, including a grandmother, two of her adult daughters, and her 13-year-old grandson, according to family members and local authorities.
The six-seat Piper PA-46 Malibu was operating from Kenosha to Menomonie when it went down in a wooded area near Mirror Lake State Park after flying in a thunderstorm, with investigators later noting icing on the wings and a descent to lower altitude.
The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation, documenting wreckage at the main crash site and planning additional searches for scattered pieces in nearby woods, with a preliminary report expected within about 30 days.
The victims identified by authorities and local sources include Mary Brion, Kayla Turpin, Amanda Haremza, Rylan Haremza, Tyler Harvey, and Ron Riek, with Riek noted as the pilot and owner of the plane, and Harvey described as a certified flight instructor who may have been a passenger on this flight.