Current:Home > Contact3 Members of The Nelons Family Gospel Group Dead in Plane Crash -MoneyStream
3 Members of The Nelons Family Gospel Group Dead in Plane Crash
View
Date:2025-04-13 07:14:13
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! (9)
Related
- Residents worried after ceiling cracks appear following reroofing works at Jalan Tenaga HDB blocks
- Kathy Griffin Files For Divorce From Randy Bick Ahead of 4th Wedding Anniversary
- Embezzlement of Oregon weekly newspaper’s funds forces it to lay off entire staff and halt print
- Get This Sephora Gift Set Valued at $306 for Just $27, Plus More Deals on Clinique, Bobbi Brown & More
- Trump invites nearly all federal workers to quit now, get paid through September
- Driverless car startup Cruise's no good, terrible year
- Iowa man claims $250,000 from scratch-off lottery win just ahead of Christmas holiday
- Michael Cohen says he unwittingly sent AI-generated fake legal cases to his attorney
- Krispy Kreme offers a free dozen Grinch green doughnuts: When to get the deal
- Brazil expresses concern over Venezuela-Guyana border dispute as naval exercises begin in area
Ranking
- Justice Department, Louisville reach deal after probe prompted by Breonna Taylor killing
- Vehicle crashes on NJ parkway; the driver dies in a shootout with police while 1 officer is wounded
- A popular asthma inhaler is leaving pharmacy shelves. Here's what you need to know
- Stocks close out 2023 with a 24% gain, buoyed by a resilient economy
- Rams vs. 49ers highlights: LA wins rainy defensive struggle in key divisional game
- Kim Zolciak Shares Message on Letting Go in 2024 Amid Kroy Biermann Divorce
- A 14-year-old boy is arrested on suspicion of killing parents, wounding sister in California attack
- SUV plows into Albuquerque garage, killing homeowner
Recommendation
The Best Stocking Stuffers Under $25
RFK Jr. meets signature threshold in Utah to qualify for ballot
2003 Indianapolis 500 champion Gil de Ferran dies at 56
A 17-year-old foreign exchange student is missing in Utah; Chinese parents get ransom note
NFL Week 15 picks straight up and against spread: Bills, Lions put No. 1 seed hopes on line
Actor Tom Wilkinson, known for 'The Full Monty' and 'Michael Clayton,' dies at 75
How Dickens did it: 'A Christmas Carol' debuted 180 years ago, and won hearts instantly
Mexico and Venezuela restart repatriation flights amid pressure to curb soaring migration to U.S.