Members of well-known gospel group among 7 killed in plane crash

ATLANTA (WANF/Gray News) - Three members of a family gospel group died in a plane crash on Friday.

Kelly Nelon Clark, Jason Clark and Amber Nelon Kistler of The Nelons were among the seven dead in the crash.

Nelon Kistler’s husband Nathan Kistler, the couple’s assistant, Melodi Hodges and the pilot and his wife, Larry and Melissa Haynie, also died, according to a statement from The Nelons’ management company, Gaither Management Group.

Larry Haynie was the chairman of the Georgia Department of Corrections Board, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said.

“Our entire family is asking everyone to join us in praying for those who have been lost, for their loved ones and communities, and for those throughout the gospel music community who have lost dear friends in this heartbreaking accident,” Kemp wrote in a statement on X.

The group was on their way to the seven-day Gaither Homecoming Alaskan Cruise.

Autumn Nelon Streetman, the youngest daughter and fourth member of the group, was not on the plane. She and her husband were told about the crash when they landed in Seattle.

“We appreciate your continued prayers, love and support as we navigate the coming days,” she wrote in a statement.

According to a news release from Campbell County where the plane is reported to have crashed, a private plane went down north of Gillette, Wyoming, around 1 p.m. on Friday. The crash caused a wildfire that the local fire department was called to put out.

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the incident. The cause of the crash is currently unknown.

The Nelons’ last Instagram post shows the group standing by the plane on the tarmac, just having landed in Nebraska. Their next stop was supposed to be Montana.

“We’ll check in with you later,” Jason Clark said at the end of the vlog-style video.

Recording under the name The Nelons since the 1980s, the Grammy Award-nominated gospel group has released dozens of albums. They were inducted into the Gospel Music Association Hall of Fame in 2016.

Copyright 2024 WANF via Gray Local Media, Inc. All rights reserved.