The loss of Buddy Holly....part 1

Introduction…….

Buddy Holly, J.P. Richardson, Ritchie Valens and pilot Roger

Peterson....all in a Beechcraft Bonanza airplane, with luggage

and laundry stowed in the back. Within minutes after takeoff

all four would be part of rock and roll history. Here is their 

story............

So much has been written over the years concerning the death of

Buddy Holly.  Volumes of information; accident and investigation

reports, coroner’s notes, published books and articles that seem

to grow year after year.

There  were even rumors as late as 2005 that the NTSB might

re-open the crash investigation of the Holly crash in Feb. of 1959.,

but it didn’t happen.  This author has even made attempts to

reach family members to learn of where the aircraft remains are

now located…even after 60 years….but no responses have been

received  to my inquiries.

All the information in theses next few postings were taken from

public files, documents, police and coroners notes, etc.  And I write

about the event as a tribute to the young men who perished that

February 3^rd. Whether you liked his music or not, Buddy Holly was

a rising star, up there with Jerry Lee Lewis and Elvis himself.

So let’s remember these young people, their music, their families

and their legacies….and kind of imagine…what could have been.

There are five parts to this series….if you miss one…simply scroll

down to read the previous one…they will be marked 1 thru 5.

Part 1, the Pilot, Roger Peterson

The pilot, Roger Peterson.  Age age 21, was young, having been licensed in 1954, Roger had accumulated 711 hours of flying experience, 128 of those hours in the Beechcraft  Bonanza, an aircraft with a strange v shaped tail assembly.  It was known as the ‘Dr. killer’ because it had many crashes involving amateur pilots, many of them physicians. The aircraft’s top speed

was 165-175 miles per hour, and this version of the aircraft seated the pilot, three passengers

and their luggage. (As I side note, I had flown in this aircraft configuration a couple of times

years ago. We used to fly from the old Palmyra airport to Syracuse and back. I remember

the cockpit being quite tight with not a lot of room.)

Roger’s boss Hubert Dwyer was owner of Dwyer’ flying service, owner of the aircraft which

was designated N3794N. On the evening of the incident, Monday Feb. 2^nd, both Dwyer and

Peterson had made several stops at the weather control center at the Mason City

airport.  The weather was wintry, light snow, winds from the south at 20 mph, ceiling

of 6,000 feet. Dwyer I’m sure was a bit concerned for the flight because of the three famous

people being transported later that night. But it’s quite evident he had confidence in Peterson who had accumulated his hours on charter flights. The flight was going to be 311 miles as the

‘crow flies’, from Mason City to Fargo, N.D.  Fargo’s airport was the closest to their next

gig to be held the following day in Moorhead, Minnesota.

And so it was that evening that pilot Peterson and his passengers of Holly, J.P. Richardson

and Ritchie Valens started on their fateful journey.

Was Peterson qualified for this evening’s flight? His boss Hubert Dwyer thought so…

even with the ‘famous’ people as his cargo, Dwyer had great confidence in young

Peterson and had sent him on many previous missions before.

As a note; pilot Peterson only had his visual flight rules certification. He had taken 9 months

before, his instrument rating exam and had failed it. So what did this mean? Well,

he would be flying by sight only, landmarks, horizon, lights. Using a compass and the on board

Sperry attitude gyro. Now that was another challenge. Peterson was used to flying with the

traditional horizontal horizon gyro….and not the Sperry gyro. This is a bit complicated, but

basically, incorrect readings can be taken if not totally familiar with the instrument.

There will be more about young Peterson in the final investigation report; that will be

in part five of this story in a few days.

The aircraft was loaded with the luggage and personals and Buddy Holly took the seat

in the front next to pilot Peterson, with Valens and Richardson sitting behind. A last check

and it was off to Fargo, N. Dakota and then to Moorhead for more rock and roll.

Next up: part 2; the takeoff, the short flight, the crash.

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