Three members of family gospel group The Nelons killed in plane crash
Three members of the family gospel group The Nelons were killed in a plane crash in Wyoming on Friday afternoon that also claimed the lives of four others, including the pilot.
Kelly Nelon Clark, her husband, Jason Clark, and their daughter Amber Nelon Kistler were headed to the Gaither Homecoming Cruise to Alaska when the crash occurred, Gaither Management Group said in a statement Saturday.
The National Transportation Safety Board said the crash occurred near Recluse, Wyoming, a community in the northeast of the state.
Kelly and Jason’s other daughter, Autumn Nelon Streetman, who was also a member of the group, was not on the plane. She released a brief statement thanking people 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.”
“We appreciate your continued prayers, love and support as we navigate the coming days,” she said.
The group’s last Instagram post was on Friday after they documented a pit stop in Nebraska.
"Gaither Homecoming Alaskan cruise. We are on our way" Jason Clark said before panning the camera to show the rest of the group.
Also killed in the crash were Amber’s husband, Nathan Kistler, Melodi Hodges, an assistant, pilot Larry Haynie and his wife, Melissa.
It wasn’t immediately clear what led up to the crash. Gaither Management Group said the National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the incident.
A spokesperson for the NTSB said preliminary information indicates that a Pilatus PC-12/47E, a single-engine turboprop, “impacted terrain following a reported autopilot issue during flight.”