Current:Home > Invest3 Members of The Nelons Family Gospel Group Dead in Plane Crash -Secure Growth Academy
3 Members of The Nelons Family Gospel Group Dead in Plane Crash
View
Date:2025-04-17 07:17:38
The gospel music community is in mourning.
Three members of The Nelons, a Grammy-nominated family gospel group, died in a private plane crash in Wyoming that claimed the lives of all seven people aboard July 26.
Singers Kelly Nelon Clark, 64, husband Jason Clark, and their daughter Amber Nelon Kistler, 35, were killed along with the latter's husband Nathan Kistler, 34, the Georgia-based band's assistant, Melodi Hodges, plus the pilot, Larry Haynie, and his wife, Melissa Haynie, Gaither Management Group said in a statement.
"One of the best loved Gospel music families in America," the company said. "The Nelons were involved in a tragic, fatal plane crash on Friday afternoon on their way to join the Gaither Homecoming Cruise to Alaska."
Kelly and Jason's youngest daughter, fellow Nelons singer Autumn Nelon Streetman, 27, who had traveled separately to the cruise along with her husband Jamie Streetman. Following the crash, Autumn, who is in the second trimester of her pregnancy with the couple's first child, thanked fans for their support.
"Thank you for the prayers that have been extended already to me, my husband, Jamie, and our soon-to-be-born baby boy, as well as Jason’s parents, Dan and Linda Clark," she wrote on Instagram. "We appreciate your continued prayers, love and support as we navigate the coming days."
The single-engine Pilatus PC-12 aircraft had flown from Georgia to Nebraska City, Neb. the morning of July 26 and then took off again that afternoon, headed for another stop in Billings, Mont., according to flight records obtained by E! News.
WSB-TV in Atlanta reported that the National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration are both investigating the cause of the crash, which occurred in a remote area north of Gillette, Wyo.
An NTSB spokesperson told British newspaper The Guardian that preliminary information indicated the accident took place following an “autopilot issue during flight."
Hours before the accident, the Nelons shared a travel vlog from a Nebraska airport on Instagram.
Autumn, the only surviving member of the Nelons, and her husband were notified of the plane crash upon their arrival at their destination, Gaither Management Group said in their statement.
"They were brought to the hotel where artists were gathered with Bill and Gloria Gaither to pray, sing and embrace them in their grief," the company said in their statement, "pledging to support them in whatever needs arise."
The management group added that "Autumn and Jamie will return home for now to Kelly's brother, Todd Nelon and his wife, Rhonda, to begin the hard tasks that lie ahead. Please keep them, the Kistler family, the Haynie family and the family of Melodi Hodges in your prayers."
Rex Nelon, Kelly's late father, founded the band in the late '70s. The group, whose lineup has changed over the decades, was nominated for a Grammy for Best Southern Gospel Album for Let The Redeemed Say So in 1991. The Nelons were also known for songs such as "I Shall Not Be Moved" and "We Shall Wear a Robe and Crown."
Autumn, the only surviving member of the Nelons, and her husband were notified of the plane crash upon their arrival at their destination, Gaither Management Group said in their statement.
"They were brought to the hotel where artists were gathered with Bill and Gloria Gaither to pray, sing and embrace them in their grief," the company said in their statement, "pledging to support them in whatever needs arise."
The management group added that "Autumn and Jamie will return home for now to Kelly's brother, Todd Nelon and his wife, Rhonda, to begin the hard tasks that lie ahead. Please keep them, the Kistler family, the Haynie family and the family of Melodi Hodges in your prayers."
For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News AppveryGood! (1)
Related
- From family road trips to travel woes: Americans are navigating skyrocketing holiday costs
- Somali pirates suspected of hijacking a Sri Lankan fishing boat and abducting its 6 crew
- Dakota Johnson's 'SNL' opening monologue crashed by Justin Timberlake and Jimmy Fallon
- A Rolex seller meets up with a Facebook Marketplace thief. It goes all wrong from there
- The 401(k) millionaires club keeps growing. We'll tell you how to join.
- Homeless found living in furnished caves in California highlight ongoing state crisis
- Zebras, camels, pony graze Indiana highway after being rescued from semi-truck fire: Watch
- International Holocaust Remembrance Day marks 79th anniversary of Auschwitz liberation
- Appeals court scraps Nasdaq boardroom diversity rules in latest DEI setback
- How Dakota Johnson Honored Taylor Swift on SNL
Ranking
- In ‘Nickel Boys,’ striving for a new way to see
- 'Gray divorce' rates have doubled. But it's a costly move, especially for women
- Key points from AP analysis of Trump’s New York civil fraud case
- Taking away Trump’s business empire would stand alone under New York fraud law
- Former Syrian official arrested in California who oversaw prison charged with torture
- A driver backs into a nail salon, killing a woman and injuring 3 other people
- Ukrainian-born model Carolina Shiino crowned Miss Japan, ignites debate
- International Holocaust Remembrance Day marks 79th anniversary of Auschwitz liberation
Recommendation
'No Good Deed': Who's the killer in the Netflix comedy? And will there be a Season 2?
'Days of Wine and Roses,' a film about love and addiction, is now a spirited musical
2 accused of racing held for trial in crash with school van that killed a teen and injured others
Homeless found living in furnished caves in California highlight ongoing state crisis
North Carolina justices rule for restaurants in COVID
California restaurant incorporates kitchen robots and AI
China Evergrande is ordered to liquidate, with over $300 billion in debt. Here’s what that means.
Former NHL player Alex Formenton has been charged by police in Canada, his lawyer says