GILLETTE, WY -Wyoming officials say a single-engine airplane crashed north of Gillette on Friday with no survivors. The crash happened north of Recluse, WY, off of Bay Horse Road, not far from the Montana state line.
Three members of the Nelons, a Gospel Music Association Hall of Fame quartet and the chairman of the board overseeing the Georgia Department of Corrections, were among seven people killed, according to a statement by a group member who was not aboard the aircraft.
The Nelons co-founder, Kelly Nelon Clark, her husband Jason Clark, and their daughter, Amber Nelon Kistler died in the crash Friday afternoon, according to a statement from another daughter, Autumn Nelon Streetman. She is the fourth member of the Georgia-based quartet.
Also killed in the crash were Nelon Kistler’s husband, Nathan Kistler, family friend Melodi Hodges, and Larry and Melissa Haynie.
According to records, the Pilatus PC-12/47E was headed to Billings, Montana after taking on a load of fuel in Nebraska. The gospel quartet was traveling on its way to join an Alaskan cruise organized as a Gaither Homecoming Cruise with Christian musicians and performers, which was scheduled to depart from Seattle.
The crash sparked a timber fire that firefighters contained to about 38 acres, according to a Saturday morning Campbell County Fire Department press release.
The National Transportation Safety Board spokesperson Keith Holloway said early information suggests that the plane, identified as a single engine turboprop Pilatus PC-12/47E, crashed at about 1:04 p.m.
Holloway told the Associated press on Saturday that early information pointed to an “auto pilot issue during flight.”
The Federal Aviation Administration in Casper notified Campbell County agencies that a plane flying above the Campbell County area had sent out a distress signal
A preliminary report is expected within 30 days of the crash and will contain facts gathered during the initial investigation. Probable cause of the crash and contributing factors are detailed in a final report, which is expected in one to two years.
Witnesses or anyone with video or information relevant to the investigation are asked to contact the National Transportation Safety Board at [email protected].
