Pilot declared emergency before plane crash that killed 3 members of The Nelons: NTSB

The pilot of the plane that crashed in July, killing three members of Atlanta gospel group The Nelons, said he lost his autopilot and declared an emergency before the crash, according to a report by the National Transportation Safety Board.

On July 26, all seven people on board, including the pilot, members of the gospel group and three others, were killed when the plane was destroyed in a crash near Recluse, Wyoming, the report said.

The group was en route to a Gaither Homecoming cruise in Alaska, according to a statement from Gaither Music Management Group.

During the last part of the flight, the pilot reported the loss of the autopilot to the Salt Lake City Air Route Traffic Control Center controller and declared an emergency.

When the controller asked the pilot how he was going to land, he initially got no answer. But the pilot later told him he was trying to regain control of the plane.

The controller then said that if the pilot needed further assistance, to inform him and informed the pilot of minimum instrument flight rules, to which the pilot did not respond.

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What happened after losing contact?

Once contact with the plane was lost, the Federal Aviation Administration issued an alert, and local law enforcement later found the plane 12 miles northeast of Recluse, Wyoming.

A “loud whining noise” was heard, which diminished and then increased, followed shortly thereafter by smoke emanating from the crash site,” a witness said, according to the report.

Another witness said they saw the plane do a “barrel roll” as its engine roared loudly. Shortly thereafter, the witness heard the plane crash into the field and saw smoke in the area.

Fragments of the plane were found scattered over a radius of 300 meters, according to the report. The left wing of the plane was found broken in two pieces along the debris path 0.8 miles from the wreckage.

“Wreckage has been recovered to a secure facility for further examination,” the report said.

Who died in the accident?

Those killed in the crash were Jason and Kelly Nelon Clark, Amber and Nathan Kistler and their nurse, Melodi Hodges. The pilot, Larry Haynie, and his wife, Melissa, were also among those who lost their lives, the statement said.

“As many of you have heard by now, my father and mother, Jason and Kelly Nelon Clark, along with my sister, Amber and brother-in-law, Nathan, as well as our dear friends Melodi Hodges, Larry and Melissa Haynie have been involved in a tragic plane crash on Friday,” Autumn Nelon Streetman, daughter of Jason and Kelly Nelon Clark, said in a statement at the time of the crash. “Thank you for the prayers that have already gone out to me, my husband, Jamie, and our soon-to-be baby boy, and to Jason’s parents, Dan and Linda Clark. We appreciate your continued prayers, love and support as we navigate the days ahead.”

Larry Haynie also served as chairman of the Georgia Department of Corrections Board of Trustees, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp confirmed in a statement in July.

Kemp said in the statement posted on social media that “Haynie’s impact on our state will not be forgotten.”

Who were The Nelons?

The Nelons were a beloved Atlanta-based gospel music family quartet consisting of Kelly Nelon Clark, her husband Jason Clark, and her daughters Amber Nelon Kistler and Autumn Nelon Streetman.

Nelon Streetman, who was not on the plane, is the only surviving member of the group. She and her husband, Jamie Streetman, arrived in Seattle and were informed of the accident, Gaither Music said in a statement.

The group, formerly The Rex Nelon Singers, was first formed in 1977 by Rex Nelon as a spin-off of The Lefevres.

The Nelons were inducted into the Gospel Music Association Hall of Fame in 2016.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Pilot declared emergency before Nelons plane’s fatal crash, NTSB says