UPDATE: 7:30 a.m. Saturday
Three members of the gospel music group The Nelons were among seven people killed in a plane crash Friday afternoon near the Montana-Wyoming border, according to a release from the group's management team.
The Gaither Management Group said husband and wife Jason and Kelly Nelon Clark, along with their oldest daughter Amber Kistler were killed in the crash in Campbell County, Wyoming, about eight miles south of the Montana border. Amber's husband Nathan Kistler, the couple's assistant Melodi Hodges along with the pilot Larry Haynie and his wife Melissa were also confirmed dead. There were no survivors.
According to tracking site FlightAware, the single-engine Pilatus PC-12/47E left Nebraska City Municipal Airport at 11:00 a.m. MDT and was headed for Billings. The crash happened around 1:00 p.m., according to the Campbell County Sheriff's Office. The statement says the family was eventually going to join the Gaither Homecoming Cruise to Alaska, which originated out of Seattle. The plane departed from the West Georgia Regional Airport in Carrollton, GA earlier Friday.
The fourth member of The Nelons, Autumn Nelon Streetman, was not on the plane, according to Gaither.
"Autumn, Jason and Kelly’s youngest daughter, and her husband, Jamie Streetman were not on the plane and arrived safely into Seattle and were notified of the accident," the statement said. "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."
The crash sparked a wildland fire near the crash site. The Campbell County Fire Department used aircraft, heavy equipment and engine crews on the blaze.
The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation into the crash.
