Expert: Gospel group may have suffered ‘dark terror’ in fatal plane crash that killed seven

Three members of the gospel group The Nelons were among the seven people killed in a plane crash in Wyoming on Friday, July 26. There were no survivors.

National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) spokesman Keith Holloway cited an “in-flight autopilot issue” as a cause for concern and said investigators would further evaluate the situation after examining the crash site.

Before the crash of the Pilatus PC-12/47E single-engine turboprop aircraft, Dr. Alan Diehl, former NTSB, FAA and US Air Force crash investigator, flight psychologist and author of the book “Requiem for Camelot”, described to Fox News Digital what the passengers of the fatal flight may have experienced.

“Dark fear. That’s what you usually hear in my novel when I talk about (John F. Kennedy Jr.) falling from the sky,” Diehl said. “I said it was all over, but the screaming, and this is because he didn’t have a tape recorder on his plane, but I’m sure he and his two passengers were just scared when the plane fell from the sky, much like this one.”

Three members of Gospel Music Hall of Fame quartet The Nelons among seven fatalities in plane crash

Jason Clark, Kelly Nelon Clark and Amber Nelon Clark died in a plane crash in Wyoming. Autumn (second from left) was not on board the plane when it crashed. (Terry Wyatt/Getty Images for the Dove Awards)

“But of course, in this case, we don’t know when the plane actually broke apart. Maybe it lost pressure. And if it broke apart early enough and the pressure was lost, they may have been unconscious or semi-conscious at the last minute. And that would be merciful. You would say that was God’s grace.”

Nelons co-founder Kelly Nelon Clark, her husband Jason Clark and their daughter Amber Nelon Kistler were killed in the crash, according to a statement from daughter and fourth band member Autumn Nelon Streetman.

“Thank you for the prayers already extended to me, my husband Jamie and our soon-to-be-born son, as well as Jason’s parents Dan and Linda Clark,” she said. “We appreciate your continued prayers, love and support in the days ahead.”

“If the separation happened early enough and the pressure was released, they might have been unconscious or semi-conscious at the last minute. And that would be merciful. They would say that was God’s mercy.”

— Dr. Alan Diehl

According to Nelon Streetman, Amber’s husband Nathan Kistler, her assistant Melodi Hodges, the pilot Larry Haynie and his wife Melissa also died in the crash.

Before his 80th birthday, Rod Stewart is aware that his days are numbered: “I am not afraid”

Diehl said investigators on the ground would “make a huge effort to find out if this particular autopilot failed.” He added: “Theoretically, if something like this fails, you would have to notify the FAA so they can start collecting data.”

Kelly Nelon Clark, Amber Nelon Thompson, Autumn Nelon Clark and Jason Clark of The Nelons attend the 52nd GMA Dove Awards at Lipscomb Allen Arena on October 19, 2021 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Jason Kempin/Getty Images)

He pointed out that when NTSB investigators arrived at the scene of the accident, they would likely have checked whether or not the bodies were “in the plane” or whether there was any clothing on the bodies at all.

“If they had their clothes off, that means they were ejected while the plane was still falling,” he said. “If you’re coming down at 200 to 300 miles an hour, I don’t care what you’re wearing. Unless it’s really tight blue jeans, then your clothes are going to get ripped off your body.”

LIKE WHAT YOU READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

Diehl added: “I have investigated military accidents and often the soldiers’ flight suits were ripped off. They knew for a few minutes that they were going to die.”

Kathleen Bangs, an aviation safety expert and former pilot, told Fox News Digital that the Pilatus PC 12 is an “expensive aircraft” that requires only one pilot to operate, and that adverse weather conditions may have affected the flight and caused the aircraft to spin out of control.

Autumn Nelon Streetman (right) was not on board the plane that crashed and killed her family members. (Jason Davis/Getty Images for GMA)

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER

“People often ask if the people were conscious during this,” Bangs said. “And you know, at 26,000 feet, the air is pretty thin. So there’s always the chance that the air is coming at you at 300 miles an hour and the temperature suddenly gets pretty cold. The air is pretty thin. There’s a good chance the occupants will lose consciousness if they get ejected.

“There are incidents where people were conscious the whole time.”

The Gospel music family from Atlanta was en route to Alaska for the Gaither Homecoming Cruise when the plane crashed, cruise sponsor Gaither Music Group said. Autumn, the family’s youngest daughter, and her husband Jamie Streetman were not on board and learned of the crash when they arrived safely in Seattle.

“Autumn and Jamie are returning home to Kelly’s brother Todd Nelon and his wife Rhonda for now to begin the difficult tasks that lie ahead. Please pray for them, the Kistler family, the Haynie family and the family of Melodi Hodges,” the Gaither Music Group said.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

A preliminary report on the crash is expected in about 30 days, while a final report on the probable cause of the crash could take up to two years to complete, Holloway said.

The Nelons were inducted into the Gospel Music Association Hall of Fame in 2016 and have won ten GMA Dove Awards, including multiple awards for Song of the Year and Album of the Year.