Three members of the family gospel group The Nelons were killed in a plane crash in Wyoming on Friday afternoon, which also killed four others, including the pilot.
Geyser Management Group said in a statement Saturday that Kelly Nelon Clark, her husband Jason Clark and their daughter Amber Nelon Kistler were on the Geyser Homecoming Cruise to Alaska when the accident occurred.
The National Transportation Safety Board said the accident happened near the town of Recluse in northeastern Wyoming.
Kelly and Jason’s other daughter, Autumn Nelon Streetman, who was also in the group and was not on the flight, released a short statement thanking “the prayers that have already been sent for me, my husband, Jamie, our soon-to-be son, and Jason’s parents, Dan and Linda Clark.”
“We thank you all for your continued prayers, love and support as we get through the days ahead,” she said.
The group’s final Instagram post was on Friday after documenting a pit stop in Nebraska.
“Geiser Homecoming Alaska Cruise. We’re departing,” Jason Clark said, panning the camera to show the rest of the group.
Also killed in the crash were Amber’s husband Nathan Kistler, her assistant Melody Hodges, and pilot Larry Haney and his wife Melissa.
The cause of the crash was not immediately clear. Gaither Management Group said the accident was being investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board.
An NTSB spokesman said preliminary information indicated the Pilatus PC-12/47E, a single-engine turboprop aircraft, “struck the ground after reporting an autopilot malfunction during flight.”
A spokesman said the investigation is still in its early stages and not much information is available at this time. Authorities are sending teams to the crash site. Once the team has access to the plane, which is in a remote location, they will begin examining the aircraft, the spokesman said.
Haney served as chairman of the Georgia Department of Corrections board of directors, which said in a statement that he and his wife were “devoted to each other, their grandchildren and their families” and “were dedicated and enthusiastic supporters of the Georgia Department of Corrections family.”
Gov. Brian Kemp called the deaths “truly saddening.”
“Larry’s impact on our state will not be forgotten as commissioner of the Georgia Department of Corrections and throughout his career dedicated to public safety,” he said in a statement from X. “We will continue to hold his memory and his unwavering commitment to his fellow Georgians in our hearts and memories.”
Kemp added: “We ask all of our family to join us in praying for those who have passed away, their loved ones, the community and all in the gospel music community who have lost precious friends in this tragic accident.”
According to the Nelons’ website, the Nelons have recorded more than 35 albums and have had more than 20 top five Southern gospel radio singles, including “Thanks,” “Come Morning,” “We Shall Wear a Robe and Crown” and “O for a Thousand Tongues.”
In 2016, they were inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame.
Throughout their career, the four-piece group has received a Grammy nomination for Best Southern Gospel Album in 1991 and 35 GMA Dove Award nominations, most recently winning the Dove Award for Best Country/Bluegrass/Roots Recording of the Year in 2021 for “If God Pulled Back the Curtain.”
“GMA and the entire music community are mourning the tragic loss of Jason, Kelly, Amber and the others involved in this tragic plane crash,” chairman Jackie Pattillo said in a statement. “Our deepest condolences and prayers go out to Autumn and the rest of the Nelson family. They will be forever cherished and remembered in the GMA Hall of Fame.”
