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Oct 26, 2023 · There is a long-standing rumor or suspicion that the cause of the crash was different. One theory is that there was a gun onboard the aircraft, and, somehow, the pilot was shot. Nothing has ever been proven.
- Journalist
The Bonanza four-place single engine plane crashed into a field on the W.D. Hurd farm. It did not burn. One of the bodies was pinned in the wreckage and rescue workers called for equipment to...
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Investigation later found the crash had been caused by the pilot not being certified to fly on instruments, but only qualified to fly using Visual Flight Rules (VFR). The instruments in the wrecked plane were of a type unfamiliar to the pilot, probably causing him to become disoriented.
- The Crash
- Official Findings
- Gunfire Rumors
- Later Speculation
- Conclusion
- Aftermath
Shortly after midnight on Feb. 3, 1959, Holly, Valens and Richardson arrived at the airport, gathered their belongings and hurried along through the falling snow to Peterson’s plane. At approximately 12:55 a.m., they took off from runway 17 (now runway 18). Dwyer watched from below as the plane lifted into the dark, wintry night. Three minutes late...
The Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB), predecessor to the NTSB, determined the cause as pilot disorientation due to inclement weather. While Peterson had over 700 hours, 52 in instrument training, he had recently failed his IFR flight exam and wasn’t qualified to fly in IMC. At 11:55 p.m. the night of the crash, a weather briefer advised Peterson of 5,...
Not all were satisfied with the CAB’s findings. Two months later, a .22 caliber pistol, allegedly belonging to Holly, was found near the crash site. The discovery sparked rumors that an accidental discharge may have occurred onboard, leading to the crash. Many believed that Richardson, whose body had been found quite a bit further away than the oth...
In 2015, retired pilot L.J. Coon prodded the NTSB to reopen the investigation. Coon hoped to clear Peterson’s name, believing that the aircraft had suffered a fuel system failure and possible malfunction of the right ruddervator. The initial investigation found no evidence of fire, and no fuel odors were noted in the report, giving weight to Coon’s...
Pilots who have flown in such conditions, as the relatively inexperienced pilot Peterson did, know how snow flurries and dark of night can make for instant ICM. In an airplane that was heavily loaded and likely handling differently than it did when he usually flew it, the young pilot was no match for the sudden loss of visual reference and disorien...
“I can’t remember if I cried, when I read about his widowed bride. Something touched me deep inside, the day the music died.” — Don McLean, “American Pie,” 1971 Holly’s mother, Ella Pauline Drake, and pregnant wife, Maria Elena, learned about his passing via a news report on TV. The trauma of learning about his death in such a way caused her deep p...
Feb 4, 2024 · Why Did Buddy Holly's Beechcraft Bonanza Airplane Crash? The aircraft crashed at night in poor weather conditions. In the hands of less experienced pilots, the aircraft's quirks led to challenging handling situations, especially during critical phases of flight.
- Journalist
Feb 5, 2024 · February 5, 2024 By Jim Moore. Share via: The pilot of a Beechcraft V35B Bonanza reported “I’m losing engine” 45 seconds before another pilot on the same frequency told air traffic control that the Bonanza had hurtled into a tight cluster of homes in Clearwater, Florida, at 7:06 p.m. Eastern time on February 1.
Jan 17, 2023 · Pilot error was cited in 73% of V-tail crashes and 83% of conventional-tail crashes, with aircraft-related causes accounting for 15% and 11% of crashes respectively.
