Summary

  • The tragic crash in Wyoming resulted in the loss of all seven passengers, including Gospel Hall of Famers The Nelons.
  • The NTSB is investigating an autopilot issue as a possible cause of the crash that led to the forest fire in the area.
  • The Pilatus PC-12 involved in the crash was originally built in 2010 and registered to Haynie Enterprises in Nevada.

On Friday, July 26, at about 13:00 local time in Campbell County, Wyoming, a Pilatus PC-12 carrying seven passengers crashed. The crash resulted in the death of the pilot and all six passengers, which included several members of the Gospel Music Association Hall of Fame. Three of the passengers were members of the Nelons, a famous quartet that were from Georgia.

All seven passengers passed away

As previously mentioned, the airplane crashed in rural Wyoming. Specifically, the crash occurred in Campbell County, Wyoming, which is just north of Gillette and about 250 miles north of Cheyenne. Per a statement from the Campbell County spokesperson, Leslie Perkins, the crash took place just after 13:00 local time on Friday, July 26.

The crash caused a forest fire to break out in the surrounding area, which the Campbell County Fire Department eventually contained. The aircraft is in a remote area, although the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has already arrived to begin a preliminary investigation. A spokesperson for the NTSB, Keith Holloway, said that the aircraft had suffered an autopilot issue, which may have led to the crash.

Other early reports, per the Aviation Safety Network (ASN), indicate that at 26,000 feet, the pilot reported that he had lost control of the aircraft. This resulted in a dive that accelerated to nearly 30,000 feet per minute. The crash resulted in the deaths of all seven passengers.

United States Air Force Pilatus PC-12/45 (N415PB) ISR (Intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance) aircraft

Photo: viper-zero | Shutterstock

Three of the four members of the Nelons were onboard the aircraft. The Nelons are a famous Gospel quarter that was inducted into the Gospel Music Association Hall of Fame in 2016. The fourth member of the group, who is also the daughter of Jason Clark and Kelly Nelon Clark, confirmed that both her parents and Amber Nelon Kistler were the three members of the group that had deceased from the crash, according to the AP News. Other passengers on the aircraft were Amber Nelon Kistler’s husband, Nathan Kistler, Melodi Hodges, Melissa Haynie, and the pilot, Larry Haynie.

About the Pilatus PC-12 in question

The group was flying to join the Gaither Homecoming Cruise to Alaska from Georgia. The aircraft, which was a Pilatus PC-12 turboprop aircraft, had flown from West Georgia Regional Airport (CTJ) in Carrollton, Georgia, to Nebraska City Municipal Airport (AFK) on Friday, landing in Nebraska at around 11:15 local time. The aircraft most likely refueled before departing Nebraska City Municipal Airport at around 12:00 local time en route to Billings-Logan International Airport (BIL) in Yellowstone County, Montana, according to FlightAware.

Related

Impressive Turboprop: A Guide To The Pilatus PC-12

Pilatus first introduced the aircraft in 1991.

The aircraft operated by the group was a PC-12 originally built in 2010, and it was registered as N357HE. The aircraft was registered with Haynie Enterprises, which is based in Henderson, Nevada.

The Pilatus PC-12 has been a relatively reliable aircraft. Over 2,000 variants have been built since it was introduced in 1994. Per the ASN, the Pilatus PC-12 had 150 registered incidents, which included 122 total fatalities. This was the first deadly accident involving a PC-12 since December 14, 2023.

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