This is part five, and the last installment on that horrific crash on Feb.
3rd, 1959. If you missed any of the parts in this series, you can simply
scroll down to view them. I hope you enjoyed the read....the events
are part of rock and roll history....and each year they continue to fade
into the fabric of time itself.
conclusions on the crash…
Before the NTSB, there was the Civil Aeronautics Board
(CAB). They were the official
agency in charge of investigating the who, what and why of
the Holly plane crash.
The post crash investigation at the scene came to no immediate
conclusions. The
instrumentation all appeared normal with gauges and readings
in their acceptable
parameters. The
engine gave no clues to mechanical failure or loss of power, the
propeller hub upon inspection proved the engine was
performing normally at the
point of impact.
There was no part or parts of the wing, or moveable control
surfaces
found far away from
the aircraft that might indicate an early departure from the fuselage before the crash. Upon reviewing the autopsy
report of pilot Roger Peterson, nothing remarkable was found that would indicate
a medical emergency that would affect his flying senses or motor functions.
His injuries as the other victims were of mass trauma
including the head and brain.
The young pilot Peterson was certified to operate under
visual flight rules; i.e.
you need to be able to SEE where you are going. On that
particular night, the lack of
a good horizon, low clouds, minimal amount of ground lights
in the little populated area
would all make for poor visual flying. To my knowledge the CAB never attempted
to calculate the
final weight of the aircraft with its’ passengers,
fuel and luggage.. if the aircraft was overloaded and the
center of gravity was
compromised the plane would be severely challenged to fly correctly.
The CAB in Sept. of 1959 said the following about the crash,
quote:
‘At night, with an overcast sky, snow falling, no definite
horizon and a proposed
flight over a sparsely settled area with an absence of
ground lights, a requirement
for control of the aircraft solely by reference to flight
instruments can be
predicted with virtual certainty. The board concludes that
Pilot Peterson was
confronted with this situation. Because of fluctuation of
the rate instruments
caused by gusty winds he would have been forced to
concentrate and rely
greatly on the attitude gyro, an instrument with which he
was not completely
familiar. The pitch display of this instrument is the
reverse of the instrument
he was accustomed to; therefore, he could have been confused
and thought
that he was making a climbing turn when in reality he was
making a
descending turn. The weather briefing supplied to the pilot
was seriously
inadequate in that it failed to even mention adverse flying
conditions which
should have been highlighted.’
In 2015, the NTSB, who
succeeded the CAB had considered re-opening the crash investigation. That was proposed
by a pilot L.J. Coon, who felt the first conclusions were not correct.
He thought a possible right rudder failure, fuel readings
and that improper weight
distribution as mentioned above could be involved. Coon also
thought that Peterson
may have tried to land the aircraft, a distinct possibility,
and that his efforts should
be noted in the official record. The NTSB in 2016 considered
re-opening the
investigation into the crash, but it never happened. And
there you have it.
There are rumors the
plane still exists…..and that the Dwyer family has at
least part of it hidden away.
Within the past two years I tried to contact Mrs. Dwyer to ask
about the location of
the remains of the airplane, but I never received any answer
from her or
her family. (Jerry and Barb Dwyer, were the owners of the
airplane.)
Jerry Dwyer passed away in Clear Lake in January 2016. He
was writing a book
about the whole affair…his wife has stated she will continue
and eventually
finish the book in his memory and honor.
February 3rd, 1959, a date forever etched in rock
and roll history.
