Three members of the US family gospel group The Nelons have died in a plane crash, their management has confirmed.
Jason Clark, Kelly Nelon Clark and their daughter Amber Kistler were killed in the crash in north-east Wyoming on Friday (July 26) while travelling to perform on a cruise ship. Four other people died – Kistler’s husband Nathan, the band’s assistant Melodi Hodges, the pilot Larry Haynie and his wife Melissa.
According to the Campbell county Facebook page, the crash happened at about 1pm north of the town of Gillette and started a wildfire.
“One of the best loved gospel music families in America, the Nelons were involved in a tragic, fatal plane crash on Friday afternoon on their way to join the Gaither Homecoming cruise to Alaska.,” the Gaither Management Group wrote on Instagram.
In a statement, a National Transportation Safety Board spokesperson said preliminary information indicated the plane crashed following an “autopilot issue during flight”. The agency had sent a team of investigators to the site for further examination and a preliminary report on the crash is expected in around 30 days. A final report naming the probable cause of the crash could take up to two years to complete.
The youngest daughter of the Clarks, Autumn Nelon Streetman, was not on the plane and was waiting in Seattle for their arrival. She said: “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.
“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. We appreciate your continued prayers, love and support as we navigate the coming days.”
Their management added that when Autumn was told of the tragedy, she was “brought to the hotel where artists were gathered with Bill and Gloria Gaither [fellow gospel singers] to pray, sing and embrace them in their grief, pledging to support them in whatever needs arise”.
The Gaithers’ cruise was meant to sail from Seattle today (July 27) and travel through Puget Sound.
“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,” the statement continued. “Please keep them, the Kistler family, the Haynie family and the family of Melodi Hodges in your prayer,” the statement also said.
The Nelons were started by Kelly’s father Rex Nelon, also known for the LeFevres, in the 1970s. They were inducted into the Gospel Music Association (GMA) Hall of Fame in 2016 and earned three Grammy nominations.
Kelly was also an actress who appeared in the ABC fantasy drama Resurrection and participated in re-enactments for the docuseries Homicide Hunter: Lt Joe Kenda.