Three members of family gospel group die in plane crash
A husband, wife, and their daughter, who performed together in the American gospel group The Nelons, were killed in a plane crash along with four other individuals.
Jason and Kelly Nelon Clark, along with Amber Nelon Kistler, died on Friday when their aircraft went down over Wyoming en route to a performance.
Autumn Nelon Streetman, also a member of the Grammy Award-nominated group but not on board, confirmed the deaths of her parents and sister on Instagram. She expressed gratitude for the “prayers, love, and support” received from fans in the aftermath of the tragedy.
Amber’s husband, Nathan Kistler, the family’s assistant, Melodi Hodges, and the pilot, Larry Haynie, along with his wife, Melissa Haynie, were also killed, as reported by the group’s management.
Gaither Management stated that the passengers were traveling to Seattle to join a cruise ship on which The Nelons were scheduled to perform.
Officials in the area where the plane came down said it happened at about 13:00 local time, north of the town of Gillette. Local media said it triggered a wildfire.
A National Transportation Safety Board spokesman said preliminary reports indicate the aircraft crashed after an “auto pilot issue”.
The band’s management said Autumn – the youngest member of the family act – was awaiting the arrival of her parents and sister in Seattle when she was informed.
In a post on Instagram, Autumn said: “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.”
Rex Nelon, the father of Kelly Nelon Clark, founded the group in the 1970s.
They have been nominated for three Grammy awards and were inducted into the Gospel Music Association Hall of Fame in 2016.
The group’s biggest hits include I Shall Not Be Moved, Come Morning and We Shall Wear a Robe and Crown.
Kelly was also an actress and appeared in the ABC fantasy drama Resurrection.
