“THEY WERE JUST COMING HOME FROM A FAMILY VISIT” — GRANDMOTHER, HER TWO DAUGHTERS AND 13-YEAR-OLD GRANDSON AMONG SIX KILLED IN PLANE CRASH

What began as a special family trip ended in unimaginable heartbreak. A grandmother, her two daughters and her young grandson never made it home after their plane crashed in Wisconsin.

Mary Brion, 67, was travelling with her daughters, Amanda Haremza, 45, and Kayla Turpin, 39, and her 13-year-old grandson, Rylan Haremza, after a visit to surprise her granddaughters at a high school volleyball game.

The family had come together to support the girls and share a precious moment. But on October 13, 2026, their journey home ended in tragedy when their small plane crashed near Dellona, Wisconsin.

All four family members died, along with the pilot, Ronald R. Riek, 63, and certified flight instructor Tyler J. Harvey, 36.

A surprise visit filled with love

For Mary, spending time with her grandchildren was one of life’s greatest joys.

The family had travelled to attend the volleyball game and surprise the girls, turning an ordinary sporting event into a special family memory.

Her husband, David Brion, later spoke about his wife’s love of watching her grandchildren play. He described how much those moments meant to her, especially because the family lived several hours away by car.

Now, the happy memory of that visit has become inseparable from the devastating news that followed.

A grandfather’s unimaginable loss

David is mourning his wife, both of his daughters and his grandson.

Rylan, just 13, was remembered as a wonderful child who enjoyed hunting, fishing, football and wrestling. He was at an age when life was opening up before him, with countless opportunities and experiences still to come.

The loss of four close family members in a single incident has left relatives facing a grief that is difficult to put into words.

Their story has also touched people far beyond their immediate circle, with many expressing sympathy for the family and everyone affected by the crash.

What happened to the plane?

The Piper PA-46 Malibu was travelling from Kenosha toward Menomonie when it crashed in a wooded area near Mirror Lake State Park in Wisconsin.

Preliminary information from the National Transportation Safety Board indicated that the pilot reported icing conditions at approximately 24,000 feet and requested permission to descend.

The aircraft subsequently entered a descending turn, and contact was lost.

Emergency services responded to the crash site, where all six occupants were found dead.

Investigators are examining the circumstances surrounding the flight, including the weather conditions and the aircraft’s final movements. The precise cause of the crash has not yet been established.

Six lives lost, countless people grieving

The crash also claimed the lives of Riek and Harvey, both members of the aviation community.

Their deaths have brought further sorrow to colleagues, friends and loved ones who are now remembering the men behind the flight.

As investigators work to establish what happened, the families of all six victims must face the painful reality of losing people they expected to see again.

A family remembered for the love they shared

Mary’s trip was about something simple and deeply meaningful: being present for her grandchildren.

She and her family had travelled to celebrate a special moment in the girls’ lives. Instead, the visit became the last time their loved ones would see them.

For those left behind, the memories of that day will carry both the warmth of a family coming together and the heartbreak of a journey that never reached its destination.

Six people lost their lives. Four were members of one family who had simply gone to make a special memory together. May Mary, Amanda, Kayla, Rylan, Ronald and Tyler rest in peace.