There was a fatal plane crash on the way to a concert for THE Nelons, who are a well-known and loved gospel family in the United States.
Seven people were killed in the terrible accident, including Jason and Kelly Nelon Clark, their daughter Amber Nelon Kistler, and a Grammy-nominated family member.
Amber’s husband Nathan Kistler, Melodi Hodges, who worked for the family, and pilot Larry Haynie and his wife Melissa all died.
Autumn Nelon Streetman, the fourth member of The Nelon, wasn’t on the plane at the time.
On Friday, band members were on their way to Alaska to join the Gaither Homecoming Cruise when their plane crashed over Wyoming. When it hit the ground, it started a huge forest fire.
A video shot just before they got on the plane that was going to crash shows Jason talking to his family and the pilot on a Nebraska runway while smiling.
The jet, which is thought to belong to pilot Larry, can be seen in the background of the scary video, taken at noon when the group stopped to refuel.
Five of the seven people on board can be seen joking and laughing about the trip that’s coming up.
Emergency workers and firefighters rushed to the scene of the crash because a wildfire had started. The plane was said to have gone up in flames.
The Wyoming sheriff’s office says there were no survivors.
When Autumn Nelon Streetman talked about the tragedy, she said, “As many of you know by now, my parents, Jason and Kelly Nelon Clark, along with my sister Amber, brother-in-law Nathan, and our dear friends Melodi Hodges, Larry, and Melissa Haynie, were in a terrible plane crash on Friday.”
“Thank you for the prayers that have already been said for me, my husband Jamie, our soon-to-be-born son, and Jason’s parents, Dan and Linda Clark.
“Thank you for your continued love, prayers, and support as we go through the next few days.”
Flightaware.com says the plane was a Pilatus PC-12/47E owned by Haynie Enterprises.
The crash will now be looked into by the National Transportation Safety Board.
The Nelons were inducted into the Gospel Music Association Hall of Fame in 2016. They are widely seen as one of the most important families in US gospel history.
They had a lot of hits, like “I Shall Not Be Moved,” “Come Morning,” and “We Shall Wear a Robe and Crown.”
During their career, they have also been nominated for three Grammys.
