A federal investigation has revealed the critical chain of events that led to the fatal July 26, 2024, plane crash that killed all seven people aboard, including three members of Grammy-nominated gospel group The Nelons.
The NTSB determined that pilot Larry Haynie lost control of the Pilatus PC-12/47E after becoming spatially disoriented while flying manually through instrument meteorological conditions.
The trouble began when the aircraft encountered convective weather at around 26,000 feet. A powerful updraft, estimated at up to 3,346 feet per minute, exceeded the autopilot’s capability and caused it to disconnect.
Haynie reported losing the autopilot and declared an emergency shortly before entering an area of precipitation. When an air traffic controller asked where he wanted to land, Haynie replied that he was trying to regain control.
Investigators found that the aircraft then began deviating from its course, entering a series of turns, climbs and descents. The final recorded data showed it at approximately 21,900 feet and traveling at 256 knots groundspeed.
The NTSB said the increasingly erratic flight path during the final two minutes was consistent with spatial disorientation — a condition in which a pilot can lose an accurate sense of the aircraft’s attitude or movement when visual references are unavailable.
Haynie’s attempt to re-engage the autopilot likely diverted his attention from maintaining a consistent instrument scan. The aircraft eventually entered a rapid descending right turn and exceeded its maximum operating speed.
The extreme aerodynamic forces caused the aircraft to partially break apart in flight. Pieces of the left wing were found as far as 0.82 miles from the main wreckage.
All seven occupants died. They included Kelly Nelon Clark, her husband Jason Nelon Clark, their daughter Amber Nelon Kistler, Amber’s husband Nathan Kistler, the group’s assistant Melodi Hodges, pilot Larry Haynie and his wife Melissa Haynie.
The aircraft crashed in remote terrain about 12 miles northeast of Recluse, Wyoming, while traveling from Nebraska City toward Billings, Montana. The passengers were heading to join the Gaither Homecoming Cruise to Alaska.
Despite the severity of the breakup, investigators found no evidence that a mechanical failure caused the loss of control. They also concluded that icing was unlikely to have played a significant role.
The NTSB ultimately determined that the probable cause was the pilot’s loss of control due to spatial disorientation in instrument weather conditions, resulting in the aircraft breaking apart in flight. The weather-related autopilot disconnect and the resulting distraction were identified as contributing factors.
The investigation highlights how quickly a combination of severe weather, automation changes and spatial disorientation can turn a manageable flight into a catastrophic loss of control.
