Current:Home > My3 Members of The Nelons Family Gospel Group Dead in Plane Crash -InvestTomorrow
3 Members of The Nelons Family Gospel Group Dead in Plane Crash
View
Date:2025-04-11 18:37:47
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! (55)
Related
- Former Syrian official arrested in California who oversaw prison charged with torture
- Sheryl Swoopes' incorrect digs at Caitlin Clark an example of old-fashioned player hatin'
- Toby Keith dies at 62 from stomach cancer: Bobby Bones, Stephen Baldwin, more pay tribute
- 'The Conners': Premiere date, cast, trailer, what to know about new season
- Nearly 400 USAID contract employees laid off in wake of Trump's 'stop work' order
- Dead geese found in flight control and debris field of medical helicopter that crashed in Oklahoma, killing 3
- Toby Keith, in one of his final interviews, remained optimistic amid cancer battle
- Texas mother, infant son die in house fire after she saves her two other children
- The FBI should have done more to collect intelligence before the Capitol riot, watchdog finds
- Border bill supporters combat misleading claims that it would let in more migrants
Ranking
- Juan Soto to be introduced by Mets at Citi Field after striking record $765 million, 15
- Police confirm names of five players charged in Hockey Canada sexual assault scandal
- Toby Keith, in one of his final interviews, remained optimistic amid cancer battle
- Jesse Palmer Breaks Down Insane Night Rushing Home for Baby Girl's Birth
- A White House order claims to end 'censorship.' What does that mean?
- A famous climate scientist is in court, with big stakes for attacks on science
- Fake and graphic images of Taylor Swift started with AI challenge
- Jay-Z's Grammys speech about Beyoncé reiterates an ongoing issue with the awards
Recommendation
Military service academies see drop in reported sexual assaults after alarming surge
Appeals court weighs whether to let stand Biden’s approval of Willow oil project in Alaska
U.S. Biathlon orders audit of athlete welfare and safety following AP report on sexual harassment
Super Bowl should smash betting records, with 68M U.S. adults set to wager legally or otherwise
Elon Musk's skyrocketing net worth: He's the first person with over $400 billion
Horoscopes Today, February 5, 2024
Police confirm names of five players charged in Hockey Canada sexual assault scandal
Jury awards $25M to man who sued Oklahoma’s largest newspaper after being mistakenly named in report