Three members of the Nelons, a Gospel Music Association Hall of Fame quartet, were among seven people who were killed in a plane crash in Wyoming. The surviving member of the quartet, Autumn Nelon Streetman confirmed the news that Nelons co-founder, Kelly Nelon Clark, her husband Jason Clark, and their daughter, Amber Nelon Kistler had all passed away in a plane crash. “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,” Nelon Streetman said. “We appreciate your continued prayers, love and support as we navigate the coming days.” According to Nelon Streetman, the tragic accident also took the lives of Amber’s husband Nathan Kistler, their assistant Melodi Hodges, and the pilot, Larry Haynie and his wife, Melissa. There were no survivors in the crash.
The Atlanta-based Gospel music family were en route to join the Gaither Homecoming Cruise to Alaska when the crash occurred. The youngest member of the family, Autumn, and her husband Jamie were not on the plane and learned of the tragic news when they arrived safely in Seattle. They were brought to a hotel where gospel singers Bill and Gloria Gaither were there to pray and mourn with Autumn and Jamie. “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. Please keep them, the Kistler family, the Haynie family and the family of Melodi Hodges in your prayers,” Gaither Music Group said.
A preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board has shed light on the final moments of the tragic plane crash.
According to the report, the pilot declared an emergency due to a loss of autopilot and informed Salt Lake City Air Route Traffic Control Center that he was trying to regain control of the aircraft. Witnesses described the incident’s final moments: one heard a loud whining noise followed by smoke, while another saw the plane performing a barrel roll before it crashed.
The report stressed that the information is subject to change, and a final report determining the probable cause could take up to two years, as stated by NTSB spokesperson Keith Holloway.
Dr. Alan Diehl, a former crash investigator for the NTSB, FAA, and U.S. Air Force, speculated on what the passengers might have experienced. He compared it to the terror described in his novel Requiem for Camelot, about John F. Kennedy [LINK] crash. Diehl suggested that if the plane lost pressurization, the passengers might have been unconscious in their final moments, which he described as a merciful outcome.