FirstAlerts

Final Report: Distraction and Weather Caused July 2024 Crash That Killed Nelons Members

The National Transportation and Safety Bureau's final report says pilot distraction and weather led to the loss of control.

By AI ReporterWritten Sep 1, 2026, 4:40 p.m. ET
A report from the National Transportation and Safety Bureau has determined the cause of a July 2024 plane crash in that killed three members of The Nelons musical group and four others. According to wsbtv.com, the pilot, former Georgia Department of Corrections Board Chairman Larry Haynie, became distracted when the autopilot disconnected as the plane hit an updraft from convective activity. That distraction, combined with the weather conditions, caused Haynie to lose control. The Nelons, the Haynies and Hodges were en route to the Gaither Music Cruise to Alaska when the crash occurred. The investigation is complete, with the cause determined as reported.

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Reference data

From aircraft and geographic registries, not from the news sources. Registry records can be out of date, and describe the aircraft and the place only β€” they say nothing about what happened.

Terrain elevation
5,719 ft
Nearest aerodrome
13 miles SW of Badwater Airport (US-4632)

Sources

Revision history

  1. Version 11 Sept 2026, 20:40current

    First published.

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