Current:Home > Contact3 Members of The Nelons Family Gospel Group Dead in Plane Crash -TradeCircle
3 Members of The Nelons Family Gospel Group Dead in Plane Crash
View
Date:2025-04-24 22:42:06
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! (2)
Related
- Rams vs. 49ers highlights: LA wins rainy defensive struggle in key divisional game
- How Ben Affleck Always Plays a Part In Jennifer Lopez's Work
- Methane Hazard Lurks in Boston’s Aging, Leaking Gas Pipes, Study Says
- Today’s Climate: July 14, 2010
- Are Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp down? Meta says most issues resolved after outages
- Today’s Climate: Juy 17-18, 2010
- Amazon Fires Spark Growing International Criticism of Brazil
- Pat Robertson, broadcaster who helped make religion central to GOP politics, dies at age 93
- Residents worried after ceiling cracks appear following reroofing works at Jalan Tenaga HDB blocks
- Tupac Shakur posthumously receives star on Hollywood Walk of Fame
Ranking
- Romantasy reigns on spicy BookTok: Recommendations from the internet’s favorite genre
- This 15-minute stick figure exercise can help you find your purpose
- You're 50, And Your Body Is Changing: Time For The Talk
- Allergic To Cats? There's Hope Yet!
- Average rate on 30
- InsideClimate News Launches National Environment Reporting Network
- Expanding Medicaid is popular. That's why it's a key issue in some statewide midterms
- The Mystery of the Global Methane Rise: Asian Agriculture or U.S. Fracking?
Recommendation
Whoopi Goldberg is delightfully vile as Miss Hannigan in ‘Annie’ stage return
Too Hot to Handle's Francesca Farago Flashes Her Massive 2-Stone Engagement Ring
Today’s Climate: July 26, 2010
Shipping’s Heavy Fuel Oil Puts the Arctic at Risk. Could It Be Banned?
Federal appeals court upholds $14.25 million fine against Exxon for pollution in Texas
Today’s Climate: July 15, 2010
How Big Oil Blocked the Nation’s Greenest Governor on Climate Change
Sum 41 Announces Band's Breakup After 27 Years Together