Grammy-Nominated Gospel Group The Nelons Die in Plane Crash; Pregnant Daughter Survives

The music community, especially fans of gospel music, are collectively mourning the tragic loss of members from The Nelons, a Gospel Music Association Hall of Fame quartet. On Friday afternoon, three members of the group were killed in a plane crash in Wyoming.

In a statement, Autumn Nelon Streetman, who is pregnant with a baby son, expressed her deep sorrow. She conveyed, “As many of you have heard by now, my father and mother, Jason and Kelly Nelon Clark, along with my sister, Amber and brother-in-law, Nathan, as well as our dear friends Melodi Hodges, Larry and Melissa Haynie were involved in a tragic plane crash on Friday.” She added, “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.” Autumn emphasized, “We appreciate your continued prayers, love and support as we navigate the coming days.”

The accident claimed the lives of The Nelons’ co-founder Kelly Nelon Clark, her husband Jason Nelon Clark, and their daughter Amber Nelon Kistler. In total, there were seven passengers on the plane, none of whom survived. The other victims included the pilot Larry Haynie, his wife Melissa Haynie, band assistant and family friend Melodi Hodges, and Amber’s husband, Nathan Kistler.

Larry was piloting a single-engine turboprop Pilatus PC-12/47E when the crash occurred around 1 pm local time in Campbell County, Wyoming, near Gillette. The group was en route to Alaska to join the Gaither Homecoming Cruise.

A team of investigators was scheduled to visit the crash site by Saturday. Keith Holloway, a spokesperson for the National Transportation Safety Board, stated, “The aircraft is in a remote location and once they gain access, they will begin documenting the scene, examining the aircraft.” The plane will then be moved to a secure facility for further evaluation. While a preliminary report is anticipated in about a month, the complete report with the probable cause of the crash might take up to two years to finalize.

The Nelons were a Grammy-nominated gospel group inducted into the Gospel Music Association Hall of Fame in 2016. The group consisted of Jason, Kelly, Autumn, and Amber, with Amber now being the only surviving member of the band. They had over 50 upcoming concerts and performances scheduled through January of next year, with the nearest event planned for Sunday, August 4, in Carrollton, Georgia.

Source: HELLO!