A tragic plane crash that resulted in the deaths of three members of the gospel group The Nelons, along with four other individuals, might have been due to an equipment failure.
The Pilatus PC-12/47E turboprop, a single-engine aircraft, had reported an 'autopilot malfunction during its flight' before the plane went down and the accident occurred on Friday afternoon in northeast Wyoming.
Dan Gryder, an aviation expert and crash investigator, proposed that the severe maneuvers at speeds of 300 mph might have led to the aircraft disintegrating while airborne.
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"Imagine sticking your hand out while driving," Gryder explained to the Cowboy State Daily . "The wind pushes your hand up with considerable force."
Gryder suggested that a similar force could have triggered a 'domino effect,' causing parts of the aircraft to detach mid-flight. This would have subjected the passengers to a harrowing and violent descent until the plane's final impact.
"Once the plane starts breaking apart, there’s no turning it around," Gryder told the outlet, emphasizing that reversing the crash becomes impossible once that process begins.
He estimated that the impact would follow two intense minutes, during which he believes everyone aboard would have been conscious and aware until the crash.
The victims included Kelly Nelon Clark, Jason Clark, and Amber Nelon Kistler from The Nelons, as well as Nathan Kistler, Melodi Hodges, and Larry and Melissa Haynie.
The plane had reported an equipment malfunction that is typically associated with issues in that model, according to Keith Holloway, a spokesperson for the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
Flight data reveals that the aircraft underwent severe up-and-down pitching before descending rapidly from an altitude of 26,000 feet.
The group took off from Nebraska and was heading to Billings, Montana, went down near the Montana border in northern Campbell County.
Local authorities reported that debris was spread over a wide area, which supports the hypothesis of a mid-air breakup.
The crash also sparked a major fire due to the plane's fuel, which firefighters tackled both from the air and on the ground.
The NTSB is expected to release a preliminary report in approximately two weeks following their investigation.
"The aircraft is situated in a remote area," Holloway said on Saturday. "Once investigators can access the site, they will start documenting the scene and examining the wreckage. The aircraft will then be retrieved and transported to a secure facility for a more detailed assessment."
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