Pilot named as first victim of Midwest plane crash that killed six… as horrifying doorbell recording of death plunge emerges

The pilot who flew the small plane that crashed and killed six in rural Wisconsin has been identified. 

Ronald Riek, 63, was flying his single-engine Piper PA-46 aircraft on Tuesday when it suddenly plunged into a wooded area near a residential neighborhood in Dellona at around 9.30pm, according to Daniel Johnson, chairman of Menomonie Airport Commission. 

The ‘long-time local pilot’ was pronounced dead at the scene, along with four other adults and a child who have not yet been identified, the chairman stated during a meeting on Wednesday. 

Harrowing doorbell footage obtained by News 3 Now captured what appeared to be noises coming from the plane as it fell out of the sky. 

‘It’s a sound that you won’t get out of your head,’ a local woman told the station. 

Johnson has remembered Riek as ‘simply a good man’ and ‘a highly experienced pilot.’  

The visibly emotional chairman, who held a moment of silence for the victims, said he had known Riek for years and that he would be truly missed. 

‘He’s been an active, enthusiastic local pilot. He was a businessman from Woodville, who had a very active warehousing business that was attractive and successful,’ Johnson said. 

Johnson said that while on their way back to Menomonie from Kenosha, Riek ‘encountered a thunderstorm’ just before the crash. 

Holding back tears, Johnson stated that the aircraft Riek was piloting ‘has a reputation of not doing well in thunderstorms.’ 

Investigators initially said they were looking to see if weather played a role in the fatal crash. 

The plane was flying at 24,000ft when Riek ‘reported icing and requested to descend,’ the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) told the Daily Mail on Tuesday. 

Icing occurs when cold water freezes as it comes in contact with an aircraft’s frigid exterior. That can then cause disrupted airflow on a plane’s wings. 

The NTSB is leading the investigation into the crash, with assistance from the Federal Aviation Administration. 

No one on the ground was injured, and nearby homes were not damaged when the plane hit the ground. 

Flightradar captured the moment the plane abruptly crashed after leaving the Kenosha Regional Airport just before 9pm. 

The aircraft ‘was reported to be in contact with a nearby air traffic control tower’ just moments before, the Sauk County Sheriff’s Office stated. 

Several locals were already searching the area when officials arrived and said they saw a low-flying plane just before, WKOW reported.

A police scanner also picked up a chilling call from an officer at the scene.

‘I’ve got, uh, looks like, definitely an airplane seat of some sort with deceased in the front yard,’ the cop said, according to WISN 12. 

Riek founded Woodville Logistics, a warehouse and distribution company, in 1994, according to its website. 

He went on to expand his business to three locations, with six buildings and a 700,000sq ft warehousing center for dry and frozen goods, the site detailed. 

The page also detailed his love for flying, stating: ‘Along with working in the business, Ron is an experienced pilot and loves taking to the skies to meet both current and potential new customers. 

‘His love of flying has been passed down to his son Reuben, who recently obtained his pilot’s license.’ 

Along with Reuben, Riek leaves behind his wife, Lorri, and his daughter, Rebecca Riek. 

He had at least 1,500 hours of flying experience and carried an airline transport pilot rating on his license, according to FAA records, the Associated Press reported.  

The Daily Mail reached out to the Sauk County Sheriff’s Office for comment.