Community mourns pilot among 6 dead in Wisconsin plane crash

The town of Woodville, Wisconsin, is mourning the loss of Ron Riek, a prominent businessman and pilot killed in a small plane crash Tuesday night near the Wisconsin Dells. Five of his passengers were also killed, including a child, according to the Sauk County Sheriff's Office.

Riek owned a trucking company for over 30 years in Woodville. WCCO spoke with community members and found a common theme: he had a heart of gold.

The crash occurred Tuesday night around 9:30 p.m., when the six-seat, single-engine Piper PA-46 he was piloting crashed about 10 miles southwest of the Wisconsin Dells.

Authorities say Riek and his passengers were flying to Menominee from Kenosha, and the NTSB said Riek reported icing on the wings and needed to descend. Soon after air traffic controller approved the descent, communications were completely lost.

"Ron was a really outgoing guy. He would be very helpful with all his workers. Outside of work, he was just super nice," said Erin McMahon, who works at Woodville Cafe. "He'd go far and beyond for his workers."

Several of the people WCCO spoke with Thursday said Riek was an experienced pilot, with safety always top of mind.

"To hear that he passed from flying, it's a shock," McMahon said.

The NTSB says it will likely release a preliminary report within the next 30 days.