Last Friday, July 26th, a plane crash in the north-east of Wyoming killed three members of The Nelons, a US family gospel group. The crash also claimed the lives of four other passengers, including Kelly Nelon Clark’s husband, their daughter Amber Kistler, the band’s assistant, and the pilot and his wife.
The group was headed to perform on a cruise ship when the tragedy occurred. The cause of the crash appears to have been an “autopilot issue during flight,” according to a statement from the National Transportation Safety Board. The authorities sent a team of investigators to the scene for further examination, and a preliminary report on the crash is expected in about 30 days. The final report, which will name the probable cause of the crash, could take up to two years to complete.
In a statement, the Gaither Management Group referred to the Nelons as “one of the best-loved gospel music families in America” and described the event as a “tragic, fatal plane crash”. The youngest daughter of Jason Clark and Kelly Nelon Clark, Autumn Nelon Streetman, was the only family member not on the flight and was reportedly waiting in Seattle for their arrival.
The Nelons were inducted into the Gospel Music Association (GMA) Hall of Fame in 2016 and had three Grammy nominations. Kelly Nelon Clark was also an actress and appeared in the ABC fantasy drama Resurrection, as well as participating in re-enactments for the docuseries Homicide Hunter: Lt Joe Kenda. The cruise ship the group had been scheduled to perform on, as part of the Gaithers’ cruise, was due to travel through Puget Sound.
The Nelons’ management released a statement requesting that people keep the families of the victims in their prayers, describing the tragedy as devastating. The statement noted that Autumn and Jamie will return home to begin the difficult process of navigating the days ahead
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