GILLETTE, Wy. — A Friday afternoon plane crash claimed the lives of three members of Atlanta-based family gospel group the Nelons.
The group, along with their assistant, the plane pilot and the pilot’s wife, were flying to the Gaither Homecoming Cruise to Alaska when the plane crashed in Wyoming. Reports indicate the crash happened around 3 p.m. EST/1 p.m. MT.
According to Gaither Management Group, who managed the gospel singers, there were no survivors among the seven people on board the plane, and now the National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the accident.
Channel 2 Action News has learned the pilot of the plane was a state official in Georgia.
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As reported by ABC News, the NTSB is expected to release preliminary information on the crash on Saturday.
Gaither Management said “Jason and Kelly Nelon Clark, Amber and Nathan Kistler and their assistant, Melodi Hodges, along with the pilot, Larry Haynie and his wife, Melissa” died Friday afternoon.
Channel 2 Action News is learning more about some of the people on the plane Friday. According to Gov. Brian Kemp, Larry Haynie was the Georgia Department of Corrections Chairman of the Board.
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In a statement online, Kemp said he and his family were grieving the loss of Haynie and his wife Lisa, saying in part “Marty, the girls, and I are truly saddened to learn of the tragic death of Larry Haynie and his wife, Lisa, along with all those lost in this horrible plane accident. As chairman of the Georgia Department of Corrections Board and through a career of valued service in public safety, Larry’s impact on our state will not be forgotten. We will continue to hold his memory and that enduring commitment to his fellow Georgians in our hearts and memories,” adding that it was a heartbreaking accident.
In the statement from Gaither, band managers said Autumn Nelon Streetman and her husband Jamie Streetman were not on the plane, and made it to Seattle on Friday, where they were informed of the crash.
“They were brought to the hotel where artists were gathered with Bill and Gloria Gaither to pray, sing and embrace them in their grief, pledging to support them in whatever needs arise. 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,” Gaither Management said in a statement. “Please keep them, the Kistler family, the Haynie family and the family of Melodi Hodges in your prayers.”
Autumn, the daughter of Jason and Kelly, released a statement through the management company thanking everyone for their prayers, love and support in the coming days.
On Friday afternoon, the Campbell County Government in Wyoming, where the plane crashed, said members of the county sheriff’s office, fire department and health EMS responded to reports of a crashed plane north of Gillette, Wy.
Earlier in the day, The Nelons had posted a video from the tarmac before boarding to fly west.
In addition to the seven fatalities confirmed by Gaither Management, county officials said the crash caused a wildland fire, which has since been extinguished.
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