Report: Pilot declared emergency before Wyoming plane crash that killed 3 of The Nelons
ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - Shortly before a plane carrying three members of The Nelons crashed in Wyoming, its pilot declared an emergency to air traffic control, a preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board says.
The report gives new details on the July 26 crash, which killed all seven of the Pilatus PC-12′s occupants — including Kelly Nelon Clark, her husband Jason Clark and their daughter Amber Nelon Kistler, three-fourths of the popular Atlanta-based gospel group. The family was on their way to a week-long Gaither Homecoming Alaskan Cruise, which was put on by the group’s management company.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: 3 members of Atlanta family gospel group among 7 killed in Wyoming plane crash
The turboprop airplane took off from Nebraska City Municipal Airport around noon and was headed toward Billings Logan International Airport in Montana, the report said. But during the last part of the flight, the pilot, Larry Haynie — who was also the chairman of the Georgia Department of Corrections Board — said he lost autopilot and declared an emergency.
An air traffic controller in Salt Lake City asked the pilot where he would like to land but got no response. Haynie eventually said he was trying to get control of the airplane, according to the report. The controller reached back out twice, hearing nothing.
The Federal Aviation Administration released an alert notice for the airplane after radio and radar contact was lost, the report said. Law enforcement found the crash site about 12 miles northeast of Recluse, Wyoming. It sparked a wildfire that burned through 40 acres.
One witness said they heard a “loud whining noise” and saw smoke rising. Another said they saw the airplane turn a barrel roll before impact, according to the report. Debris from the left wing and other parts of the airplane was scattered more than half a mile away from the main wreckage site.
Autumn Nelon Streetman, the fourth member of The Nelons, was on a separate plane. She said she and her husband were told of the crash when they landed in Seattle.
“We appreciate your continued prayers, love and support as we navigate the coming days,” she said in a statement.
Starting with Rex Nelon in the ‘50s, the Nelon family has been established in gospel music for decades. The group changed its name to The Nelons in 1982 and is known for songs like “Scars in Heaven” and “There’s A Hole in the Heart.” The Nelons were inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2016.
Copyright 2024 WANF. All rights reserved.
