Gospel Music Group The Nelons Lose 3 Members In Plane Crash

Three members of the Grammy-nominated gospel group The Nelons reportedly died in a tragic plane crash along with other people on board.

The group was en route to perform at the Gaither Homecoming Cruise to Alaska when the unfortunate incident took place.

According to reports, The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating the crash that took the lives of The Nelons’ members, as it’s believed to be caused by an autopilot issue.

Three members of the family gospel group The Nelons died in a tragic plane crash on July 26.

The victims include Kelly Nelon Clark, her husband Jason Nelon Clark, and their daughter Amber Nelon Kistler.

Also among the deceased were Amber’s husband, Nathan Kistler, their assistant, Melodi Hodges, and the plane’s pilot, Larry Haynie, along with his wife, Melissa.

Their management company, Gaither Music, confirmed the news on social media, reporting that the family was en route to perform at the Gaither Homecoming Cruise to Alaska when the accident happened.

In a statement, Gaither Music confirmed that Autumn Nelon Streetman, Kelly’s younger daughter and the group’s fourth member, was not on the plane at the time of the crash.

Autumn and her husband, Jamie Streetman, were informed of the tragic event upon arriving in Seattle.

The group stated, “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 requested prayers for the Streetman family, adding: “Please keep them, the Kistler family, the Haynie family and the family of Melodi Hodges in your prayers.”

Autumn also shared a heartfelt statement on Instagram in response to the tragedy, writing: “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.”

She added, “We appreciate your continued prayers, love, and support as we navigate the coming days.”

The family gospel music group found success since its inception in the ’70s. They were initially part of the family group, The Lefevres.

However, when the Lefevres family left the group, they became known as the Rex Nelon Singers, led by Kelly Nelon’s father, Rex Nelon.

Along with winning ten GMA Dove Awards, including several for song and album of the year, the Nelons were inducted into the Gospel Music Association Hall of Fame in 2016.

The Nelons were also nominated for a Grammy for Best Southern Gospel Album for “Let The Redeemed Say So” in 1991.

Fans have since offered condolences to the grieving families, with one person saying, “We won’t stop praying for you! I am so very sorry!!”

Actor TC Stallings commented, “This hurt my heart this morning but I know you are all hurting so much more. Autumn, you know my family and I will be praying for you.”

A third user shared, “I don’t know how to heart this post. You have thousand and thousands of prayers being lifted for you at this time of loss. My heart is holding you near, absolutely broken for you and praying for a peace that passes understanding because this is truly unfathomable.”

“Totally heartbroken by this… praying for you and your family,” another added.

Since the tragic news, Campbell County spokesperson Leslie Perkins confirmed to ABC News that a private plane crashed north of Gillette, Wyoming, sparking a “wildland fire” that the Campbell County Fire Department worked to “suppress.”

The NTSB informed People Magazine that the aircraft was a Pilatus PC-12/47E. Preliminary information suggests the crash was caused by an “autopilot issue during flight.”

The organization also explained that NTSB investigators are traveling to the site to document the scene and examine the aircraft.

A preliminary report is expected in 30 days; however, the final report, including the probable cause, could potentially take up to two years to complete.