The Nelons Die in Plane Crash – Telemundo Chicago

Three members of the Nelons family gospel group were killed in a plane crash in Wyoming Friday afternoon, which also killed four other people, including the pilot.

Kelly Nealon Clark, her husband Jason Clark and their daughter Amber Nealon Kistler were on their way to an Alaska cruise when the incident occurred, Gaither Management Group said in a statement Saturday.

The National Transportation Safety Board said the crash occurred near the community of Reclus, Wyoming, in the state’s northeast.

Kelly and Jason’s other daughter, Autumn Nealon Streetman, who was also a member of the group, was not on the plane.

Autumn released a brief statement thanking people for the “prayers offered for me, my husband Jamie, and our soon-to-be-born baby, as well as Jason’s parents, Dan and Linda Clark.”

“We appreciate your continued prayers, love and support as we navigate the next few days,” he said.

Also killed in the crash were Amber’s husband, Nathan Kistler, his co-pilot, Melody Hodges, and pilot Larry Haynie and his wife, Melissa.

The cause of the crash was not immediately clear. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the incident, Gaither Management Group said.

An NTSB spokesman said preliminary information indicates the Pilatus PC-12/47E, a single-engine turboprop, “impacted terrain after reporting an autopilot problem during flight.”

The spokesman said the investigation was still in its early stages and not much information was available at this time. The agency was sending a team to the crash site.

The spokesman said that once the team reaches the plane, which is located in a remote location, it will begin examining the aircraft.

The Nelons have recorded more than 35 albums and have amassed more than 20 Top 5 Southern Gospel radio singles, including “Thank You,” “Come Morning,” “We’ll Wear a Robe and a Crown” and “O Thousand Tongues,” according to their website.

In 2016, they were inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame.

Over the course of their career, the four-person group received a Grammy nomination for Best Southern Gospel Album in 1991 and earned 35 GMA Dove Award nominations.

Most recently, they won the 2021 Dove Award for Best Country/Bluegrass/Roots Recorded Song for “If God Pulled the Curtain.”

“GMA and our entire music community mourn the tragic loss of Jason, Kelly and Amber, as well as the others involved in this tragic plane crash,” President Jackie Patillo said in a statement.

“Our deepest condolences and prayers go out to Autumn and the rest of the Nealon family. They will forever be honored and remembered in the GMA Hall of Fame.”

This article was originally published in English on NBC News. click here To read it.