[mark_2000]

The tragic plane crash on February 3, 1959, that claimed the lives of rock and roll stars Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson, along with pilot Roger A. Peterson, has been further detailed in a comprehensive coroner's report. The incident, which occurred shortly after takeoff from the Mason City Airport, Iowa, remains a somber moment in music history, often referred to as "The Day the Music Died."

The coroner's report, prepared by Dr. Ralph E. Smiley, Acting Coroner of Cerro Gordo County, Iowa, provides a meticulous account of the crash site and the conditions under which the accident occurred. The Beech-Craft Bonanza aircraft, painted red with white and black trim, was discovered in a stubble field 5 ½ miles north of Clear Lake by H.J. Dwyer, the owner of the plane, after conducting an aerial search due to lack of communication from the pilot.

The wreckage, located approximately half a mile west of the nearest north-south gravel road and near the farm homes of Albert and Delbert Juhl, had skidded and/or rolled approximately 570 feet from the point of impact, directed northwesterly. The bodies of the musicians and the pilot were found in and around the wreckage, having been exposed to temperatures near 18 degrees Fahrenheit for about ten hours.

Buddy Holly (Charles Holley), Ritchie Valens (Richard Valenzuela), and J.P. Richardson were found outside the main wreckage, while pilot Roger Peterson's body was enclosed within it. Personal items, including a large brown leather suitcase and a travel case, were found near Holly's body. A billfold containing Tommy Douglas Allsup's name and a leather pocket case marked "Ritchie Valens" were also found at the scene.

The flight arrangements were made by Carroll Anderson, Manager of the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, with the goal of allowing the musicians to reach their next destination ahead of their tour bus for laundry purposes. The night prior to the crash, the musicians had performed at the Surf Ballroom. Deputy Sheriff Lowell Sandquist, an experienced pilot, reported that the radio and navigational equipment on the plane were set correctly for the intended course from Mason City to Fargo, ND.

Weather conditions at the time of takeoff included a south wind gusting to 20 MPH and light snowfall. The pilot had communicated with the tower before takeoff and intended to file a flight plan in the air but failed to do so. The official investigation by representatives of the Civil Aeronautics Board and the Federal Aviation Agency indicated that the crash was likely due to a combination of adverse weather conditions and pilot error.

[zeb247]

Well done. Great stuff.

[Zeeta]

The day the music died.

[REVZZYBAN]

. Good musicians & a good time to be a young person. So carefree back then. Not that way today.

[jonnboi]

Very sad...Buddy's pregnant wife...upon hearing the news of her husbands death...miscarried thier only child. Talk about salt in the wound.

[Mcschmasal]

I went to the Buddy Holley museum in Lubbock. They have a pair of glasses there in a case that it states were from the crash site. I don't see them in the list of his belongings. Maybe they found them later? I have visited his grave a number of times.

[DiamondSmiles]

PBS is airing a documentary about Holley featuring music not released prior to his death and with interviews from Maria.

I didn't know until years later that she had lost their baby.

I remember reading the autopsies a while ago and thinking how rude it was for the coroner to take money out of their wallets!

[Redrum101]

Such a great read

[demonspeedng22]

Originally Posted by Mcschmasal ↗

I went to the Buddy Holley museum in Lubbock. They have a pair of glasses there in a case that it states were from the crash site. I don't see them in the list of his belongings. Maybe they found them later? I have visited his grave a number of times.

I live 5 miles from the crash site. They weren’t found until after the snow melted and given to the sheriff. They were put in an envelope but, it wasn’t properly marked and wasn’t found until 1980 in a locked vault in the courthouse