On July 26, 2024, a Pilatus PC-12 single-engine aircraft with seven people on board crashed near the Wyoming–Montana border just north of Gillette, Wyoming, United States. All seven on board were killed upon impact. Three members of the gospel quartet The Nelons—vocalist Kelly Nelon Clark, her husband Jason, and her daughter Amber—as well as the pilot, Georgia Department of Corrections chairman Larry Haynie, were among the deceased. The crash started a wildfire which was quickly contained by firefighting crews.[2][3]
 N357HE, the aircraft involved in the accident | |
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | July 26, 2024 |
| Summary | Collided with terrain, under investigation |
| Site | North of Gillette, Campbell County, Wyoming, U.S. |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | Pilatus PC-12/47E |
| Operator | Haynie Enterprises Inc |
| Registration | N357HE[1] |
| 1st stopover | Nebraska City Municipal Airport, Nebraska City, Nebraska, United States |
| Last stopover | Billings Logan International Airport, Billings, Montana, United States |
| Destination | Seattle, Washington, United States |
| Occupants | 7 |
| Passengers | 6 |
| Crew | 1 |
| Fatalities | 7 |
| Survivors | 0 |
Aircraft
editThe aircraft involved was a Pilatus PC-12/47E, MSN 1203, registered as N357HE. The aircraft, manufactured by Pilatus Aircraft in 2010, was equipped with a Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-67P engine.[4]
Victims
editThe victims of the crash were The Nelons vocalists Kelly Nelon Clark, Jason Clark, and Amber Clark Kistler, Amber's husband Nathan Kistler; the group's assistant, Melodi Hodges; pilot Larry Haynie, and his wife Melissa Haynie.[5] Those on the plane were en route to join a Gaither Homecoming specialty cruise to Alaska (The Nelons were to participate as performers). They were first flying to Seattle to begin the cruise.[6] Autumn Nelon Streetman (Kelly Clark's daughter and Amber Kistler's sister), pregnant at the time, was traveling separately on another flight with her husband Jamie, and had arrived in Seattle when information came about the incident. Shortly afterwards, the Streetmans were flown to Atlanta, where her uncle Todd Nelon is based.
At the time of his death, pilot Larry Haynie was the board chairman for the Georgia Department of Corrections.[7]
Crash
editAbout 1 p.m. Mountain Time in Campbell County, Wyoming, a Pilatus PC-12/47E single-engine aircraft crashed north of Gillette, about 223 miles north of Cheyenne, the capital of Wyoming. The crash started a wildfire which firefighters contained to an area smaller than one square mile. After the fire was extinguished, crews remained on site for a time to watch for hotspots and reignition.[2][8]
Initial reports indicated that an "auto pilot issue during flight" contributed to the crash.[2] A representative said that investigators would travel to the crash site to examine the aircraft and wreckage before removing it for transport to an investigative facility.[8]
References
edit- ^ "FAA Registry (N357HE)". Federal Aviation Administration.
- ^ a b c "Three members of Gospel Music Hall of Fame quartet The Nelons among 7 killed in Wyoming plane crash". AP News. July 27, 2024. Retrieved July 27, 2024.
- ^ Orban, André (July 28, 2024). "Tragic crash of Pilatus PC-12/47E in Wyoming results in seven fatalities". Aviation24.be. Retrieved July 28, 2024.
- ^ "Aircraft Inquiry N357HE". registry.faa.gov. Retrieved July 28, 2024.
- ^ "Northern Wyoming plane crash causes 7 fatalities, sparks wildfire". Denver 7 Colorado News (KMGH). July 27, 2024. Retrieved July 28, 2024.
- ^ "The Nelons: Wyoming plane crash claims lives of family gospel group members". BBC. Retrieved July 27, 2024.
- ^ Williams, Dave (July 30, 2024). "Georgia Department of Corrections chairman, Atlanta gospel group die in plane crash". Savannah Now. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
- ^ a b Media, P. A. (July 27, 2024). "Members of US family gospel group the Nelons killed in plane crash". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved July 27, 2024.