In a heartbreaking accident, three members of the gospel group The Nelons—Kelly Nelon Clark, her husband Jason Clark, and their daughter Amber Kistler—lost their lives in a plane crash that took the lives of seven people in total.
Kelly’s other daughter, Autumn Nelon Streetman, who is also part of their family group from Georgia, confirmed the heartbreaking news.
Autumn shared the sad news that her parents, Jason and Kelly Nelon Clark, her sister Amber, and brother-in-law Nathan, along with their close friends Melodi Hodges, Larry, and Melissa Haynie, were in a terrible plane accident on Friday.
I want to say a big thank you for all the prayers you’ve sent my way for me, my husband Jamie, and our baby boy who will be here soon. We also appreciate the prayers for Jason’s parents, Dan and Linda Clark. Your love and support mean so much to us as we go through the next few days!
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Gaither Music Group shared a statement, which AP News reported, saying that the group members were on a trip to the Gaither Homecoming Cruise in Alaska. They were flying with Nelon Kistler’s husband, Nathan, a family friend named Melodi Hodges, and a pilot named Larry Haynie along with his wife, Melissa. Sadly, the plane crashed, and none of the people on board made it.
The Nelons were honored by being added to the Gospel Music Association (GMA) Hall of Fame in 2016. They have won a total of 10 Dove Awards from the GMA. According to their official website, they have also received several awards for Song of the Year and Album of the Year. One of their recent achievements includes winning the 2021 GMA Dove Award for Bluegrass/Country/Roots Recorded Song of the Year for their song “If God Pulled Back The Curtain.”
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Just before their tragic flight, the Nelons shared a video on Instagram. In the video, Jason excitedly said, “Homecoming Alaskan Cruise, we just arrived in Nebraska,” and then he introduced their fans to the pilot and the rest of the team.
Many people shared their thoughts and feelings, and the last video was filled with comments from those who couldn’t believe the sad news of the loss.
“They had no idea that none of them would make it through this. Someone said, ‘Our plans are nothing compared to what God has in store.’ Another person mentioned, ‘It feels like a last goodbye.’ A third commenter expressed, ‘I’m speechless…
I’m sending prayers to their families and friends. I bet this video will be something their loved ones cherish forever.’”
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Right now, the National Transportation Safety Board is looking into the accident that happened with a Pilatus PC-12/47E, which is a single-engine turboprop plane, as reported by CNN. NTSB spokesperson Keith Holloway mentioned on Saturday, “The plane is in a hard-to-reach area, and once we can get to it, we will start checking out the scene and inspecting the aircraft. After that, we will move the plane to a safe place for more detailed analysis.”
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We are so very sorry for this devastating loss. May they rest in peace.
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