(L–R) Kelly Nelon Clark, Amber Nelon Thompson, Autumn Nelon Clark, and Jason Clark of The Nelons attend the 52nd GMA Dove Awards at Lipscomb Allen Arena in Nashville, Tenn., on Oct. 19, 2021. (Jason Kempin/Getty Images)
Three members of the American gospel band The Nelons were killed in a plane crash Friday afternoon while traveling to a music concert, their management group announced.
A statement from Gaither Management Group released on July 26 says seven people were aboard the private airplane, Kelly Nelon Clark and her husband, Jason Clark, Amber Nelon Kistler and Nathan Kistler, along with their assistant, Melodi Hodges, and the pilot and his wife, Larry Haynie and Melissa Haynie.
There were no survivors.
The airplane went down in a remote area north of Gillette, Wyoming, at about 1 p.m., Sandra Beeman, administrative executive director of the Office of Campbell County, wrote in a statement on July 26. The National Transportation Safety Board has dispatched a team to investigate the accident.
“As a result of this incident, a wildland fire was caused near the crash site,” the statement read. Fire crews used aircraft, heavy equipment, and engine crews to suppress the fire.
The Gaither Cruises website shows that the band members were en route to perform in the Gaither Homecoming Alaskan Cruise.
A video shared on the band’s official Instagram page shows The Nelons standing in front of their private airplane moments before the crash, telling fans that they just landed in Nebraska and were on their way to Montana.
“There is our wonderful pilot ... right there, that’s Larry,” Mr. Clark says before turning the camera angle to the pilot’s wife. “This is the co-pilot. She handles everything,” Ms. Clark is then heard saying.
Tragic Loss for Gospel Music
Autumn Nelon Streetman, Ms. Clark’s youngest daughter, and her husband, Jamie Streetman, were not on the plane and have been notified. Ms. Streetman is the fourth member of the beloved family band.
(L–R) Jason Clark, Autumn Nelon Clark, Kelly Nelon Clark, and Amber Nelon Clark of musical group The Nelons attend the 46th Annual GMA Dove Awards at Allen Arena, Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tenn., on Oct. 13, 2015. (Terry Wyatt/Getty Images for Dove Awards)
“They were brought to the hotel where artists were gathered with Bill and Gloria Gaither to pray, sing, and embrace them in their grief, pledging to support them in whatever needs arise,” the Nelons’s management said.
“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,” they said. “Please keep them, the Kistler family, the Haynie family, and the family of Melodi Hodges in your prayers.”
Ms. Streetman addressed the incident in a statement on Instagram, which read: “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. We appreciate your continued prayers, love, and support as we navigate the coming days.”
The band was inducted into the Gospel Music Association’s (GMA) Hall of Fame in 2016. They have also been nominated for many awards in the gospel music industry, including a Grammy nomination for Best Southern Gospel Album for their 1989 album “Let The Redeemed Say So.”
“Gospel Music Mourns,” GMA said in a statement on its website.
