[secret_squirrel]

The plane took off a little after 1 A.M. from Clear Lake and never got far from the airport before it crashed, killing all onboard.

A cold N.E wind immediately gave way to a snow which drastically reduced visibility. The ground was already blanketed in white. The pilot may have been inexperienced with the instrumentation.

One wing hit the ground and the small plane corkscrewed over and over. The three young stars were thrown clear of the plane, leaving only pilot Roger Peterson inside.

Over the years there has been much speculation as to whether a shot was fired inside the plane which disabled or killed the pilot. Logic suggests that encased in a sea of white snow, with only white below, Peterson just flew the plane into the ground.

[secret_squirrel]

Coroner's investigation
Air crash, Feb. 3, 1959
SW1/4 Section 18, Lincoln Twp.
Cerro Gordo County, Iowa

Jiles P. Richardson, Charles Holley, Richard Valenzuela and Roger A. Peterson, pilot of the plane were killed in the crash of a chartered airplane when it fell within minutes of takeoff from the Mason City Airport. The three passengers were members of a troupe of entertainers who appeared at the Surf Ballroom at Clear Lake, Iowa, the evening of February 2, 1959, bound for Fargo, N.D. and was headed northwest from the airport at the time of the crash in a stubble field, 51/2 miles north of Clear Lake, Iowa. The plane was discovered about 9:00 A.M., February 3, 1959, when Mr. H.J. Dwyer, owner of the crashed plane, made an aerial search because he had received no word from Peterson since his takeoff.

The wreckage had been approached only by Deputy Sheriff Bill McGill in his sheriff's car before I arrived about 11:15 A.M. At this time two sheriff's cars, two highway patrol cars and cars carrying members of the press, both reporters and photographers, and representatives of TV and radio stations and a few spectators were allowed to pass through the gate into the field where the crash occurred. Approach was made in a circuitous route to avoid disturbing wreckage and debris from the crash.

The wreckage lay about 1/2 mile west from the nearest north-south gravel road and the farmhomes of the Albert Juhl's and the Delbert Juhl's. The main part of the plane lay against the barbed wire fence at the north end of the stubble field in which it came to earth. It had skidded and/or rolled approximately 570 feet from point of impact directed northwesterly. The shape of the mass of wreckage approximated a ball with one wing sticking up diagonally from one side. The body of Roger Peterson was enclosed by wreckage with only the legs visible sticking upward. Richard Valenzuela's body was south, lying prone, head directed south 17 feet from the wreckage; Charles Holley's body, also in the prone position, was lying southwest, head directed southwest, 17 feet from the wreckage; and J.P. Richardson's body, lying partly prone and partly on the right side, was northwest of the wreckage, head directed south 40 feet from the wreckage, across the fence in a picked cornfield. Fine snow which fell lightly after the crash had drifted slightly about the bodies and wreckage. Some parts of each body had been frozen by ten hours' exposure in temperature reported to have been near 18 degrees during that time. The three bodies on the ground were removed before I left. Peterson's body was removed after permission was granted by the inspector for the Civil Aeronautics Board and Federal Aviation Agency. This was done by Deputy Sheriffs Wm. McGill and Lowell Sandquist using metal cutting tools to open a space in the wreckage.

At the scene of the crash Mr. Carroll Anderson was helpful in tentatively identifying the bodies from the clothing.

A large brown leather suitcase with one catch open lay near one leg of Charles Holley, and about 8ft. north of the same body lay a travel case with brown leather ends and sides of a light plaid color. This measured approximately 15 in. x 12 in. x 6 in.

A billfold containing the name of Tommy Douglas Allsup and a leather pocket case marked with the name, "Ritchie Valens" were brought to me at the scene by Deputy Sheriff inspecting the ground over which the wreckage had skidded and rolled.

Glen Kellogg of Clear Lake took some photos of the scene at the request of Sheriff Jerry Allen and me. News and TV photographers also took still pictures and movies of the scene.

The plane was a Beech-Craft Bonanza, No. N3794N, painted red, with white and black trim. Deputy Sheriff Lowell Sandquist, an experienced pilot, who has flown in and out of the Mason City airport, was present when the radio and navigational equipment from the plane were examined. He reports the radio to have been set for listening and talking to the Mason City Airport Station MCW, and the navigational equipment to have been correctly set for a course from Mason City to Fargo, N.D.

Arrangements for the flight were made by Mr. Carroll Anderson, Manager of the Surf Ballroom at Clear Lake, Iowa, with Mr. H.J. Dwyer, fixed base operator for the Mason City Airport. The reasons given to Mr. Anderson for the flight were that all three passengers wished to reach their next destination in their itinerary ahead of the chartered bus which carried the rest of the troupe in order to have some laundry done. Mr. Anderson drove the three passengers to the airport in his family automobile. Accompanying him were his wife and 8-year-old son. They saw the plane take off and make its circle to take up its course.

The Air Traffic Communication Center of the Federal Aviation Agency at the Mason City Municipal Airport. reported to me that at 0058 on February 3rd, the wind was south, gusty to 20 M.P.H., temperature 18 degrees F., dew point 11. In takeoff, the plane followed a normal procedure using the runway toward the south and turning in a counterclockwise direction. The amount of snow falling from midnight to 6:30 A.M. on February 3rd was listed as a trace.

Further information from them was that as the pilot taxied down the runway he communicated by radio with the tower and secured additional information about the weather en route. He told the officer in charge in the tower he would file a flight plan after getting in the air. When this information did not come in, the officer tried to reach the pilot without getting a reply.

An official investigation was carried on by a crew of field representatives headed by Mr. C.E. Stillwagon of the Civil Aeronautics Board, Bureau of Safety Investigation, 4825 Treost Avenue, Kansas City, Missouri, and Mr. A.J. Prokop, Federal Aviation Agency, Des Moines office. This group spent three days on the investigation arriving here the evening of February 3rd. They visited the scene of the crash for preliminary survey before dark that day.

I, Ralph E. Smiley, M.D., Acting Coroner of Cerro Gordo County, Iowa, on the 4th day of February, 1959 hereby certify that the above facts are made of record after diligent investigation and I believe them to be correct.

[secret_squirrel]

Buddy Holly's Death Certificate
From the Coroner's Report dated Feb. 4, 1959

The body of Charles H. Holley was clothed in an outer jacket of yellow leather-like material in which 4 seams in the back were split almost full length. The skull was split medially in the forehead and this extended into the vertex region. Approximately half the brain tissue was absent. There was bleeding from both ears, and the face showed multiple lacerations. The consistency of the chest was soft due to extensive crushing injury to the bony structure. The left forearm was factured 1/3 the way up from the wrist and the right elbow was fractured. Both thighs and legs showed multiple factures. There was a small laceration of the scrotum.

Personal effects found with the body are listed on a separate sheet in this report.

Fingerprints were taken of the deceased for purposes of identification.

Ralph E. Smiley, MD
Acting coroner

Personal effects, Charles Holley

Cash $193.00 less $11.65 coroner's fees - $181.35 2
cuff links, silver 1/2 in. balls having jeweled band Top portion of ball point pen.

[StiffyWood]

Cool post, and great info, secret squirrel!

[Azimuth]

Excellent extra info squirrel! So the pilot may not have been instrument rated, which would have been crucial. Totally preventable which makes it even more tragic.

[Brainplague]

The post and info are awesome! Great Job!

The question I have is, why in the hell were they in such a little bitty plane in that kind of weather?

Promoters are such greedy blood suckers.

[deathpicviewer]

WRONG ! if you checked the fuel line it was full of surgar ! go check it out fools ! surgar as in table top surgar ! they hated minorities associating with whites so there you go the racists at work ? see ? unlike kennedy that signed the minorities law that stopped the racism ? see ? these two events are connected right god ? i said right god ? are you listening here ? you could of prevented this racism from escalating but you just allowed it all to happen ? foolish ! you should of not let malcolm x , bobby john and king die the ways they did ? you bet ! the finger print is still on the fuel line stupids ! go get your tape and wrap it around the line ! but first spray light poweder on like so the oils dont smudge the finger print ! got it ? then why is the plane in the governments hands to this very day under guard ? its racism ! get it now ? damn it ! its racism of the day ritchie venezuela not valens ! his brother put a voodoo curse on his brother because he was so jealous and made a deal with government officials to help out to rid of his brother . everthing and one wiorks together until job is done right all ? thats why theres a spiritual agency to rid of filthy rags of this country right ? yes spiritual government agency falls under the black and grey projects by our tax dollars see ? segregation was to last another 50 years because of profitability of freemasons a stocks to profit and control minorities in the name of satan , see ? theres so much more bs that you will be boggled as much as i am right now writing this script . they too willl get me for telling you all this crap ! really ! that g-32 government van is parked outside right now ! i did fill out the sf-129 form to become a gov conractor . i have my high securit clearance ? i hope so ? dont i still ? its better to be not heard than be heard and be dead ? right ? i will leave you all with that thought as i go see with my night vision goggles why they ? are parked across the street ? my phone tap detector light wen on and a virus tried to enter my firewall as i wrote this up ! ? funny isnt it ? how they will scare one to shut up at any level ? hmm ? raytheon ? help me !

[DarwinsMistake]

I dont mind reading but this thread became a encyclopedia of info.. Stevie Ray Vaughan and Randy Rhodes are bigger losses to me anyway...

[Thrash Attack]

Damn Nice post and info i never thougth watch those pics

[NEVERBACKZ]