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The gospel music community is reeling from the tragic deaths of three members of the acclaimed family gospel group The Nelons in a plane crash on July 26, 2024. Kelly Nelon Clark, 64, her husband Jason Clark, and their daughter Amber Nelon Kistler, 35, perished along with four others when their private plane went down in Wyoming.
The Nelons were en route to perform at the Gaither Homecoming Cruise to Alaska when disaster struck. According to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), preliminary information suggests an "autopilot issue during flight" may have been a factor. The single-engine Pilatus PC-12 aircraft crashed in a remote area north of Gillette, Wyoming, claiming all seven lives on board.
In addition to the three Nelon family members, the crash also killed Amber's husband Nathan Kistler, 34, the band's assistant Melodi Hodges, pilot Larry Haynie, and his wife Melissa Haynie. Campbell County spokesperson Leslie Perkins confirmed that the accident sparked a "wildland fire," which local fire department units worked to contain.
The Nelons, founded by Kelly's late father Rex Nelon in the late 1970s, had achieved significant success in the gospel music world. They received a Grammy nomination for Best Southern Gospel Album in 1991 for "Let The Redeemed Say So" and were known for beloved songs like "I Shall Not Be Moved."
Autumn Nelon Streetman, 27, Kelly and Jason's youngest daughter and the sole surviving member of the current Nelons lineup, was not on the ill-fated flight. Autumn, who is pregnant with her first child, expressed gratitude for the outpouring of support in an Instagram post: "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."
Gaither Management Group, which represents The Nelons, released a statement detailing how Autumn and her husband Jamie were notified of the tragedy upon arriving in Seattle. The couple will now return home to be with Kelly's brother, Todd Nelon, and his wife Rhonda "to begin the hard tasks that lie ahead."
The NTSB is conducting a thorough investigation into the crash. While a preliminary report is expected within 30 days, the final report determining the probable cause could take up to two years to complete.
The Nelons had shared a travel vlog from a Nebraska airport on Instagram just hours before the fatal crash, a poignant reminder of the sudden and devastating nature of this tragedy that has forever altered the landscape of gospel music.
