Called 'The Day The Music Died', Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, And The Big Bopper All Fatally Injured

The NTSB will not go back and review information related to an accident which occurred on February 3, 1959 that has been called "the day the music died."

A New England man had requested that the NTSB re-open its docket on the accident that fatally injured Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. 'The Big Bopper' Richardson. Pilot Roger Peterson also died in the accident.

The Globe Gazette newspaper reports that there are indications that the weight and balance calculations for the flight were incorrect and other issues such as the removal of passenger-side rudder pedals on the Beechcraft Bonanza that was to have flown the three musicians to Moorhead, MN for the next show in a tour. The plane was airborne for less than four minutes, traveling about five miles before impacting terrain in a farm field near Mason City, IA.

But the NTSB said in a letter dated April 21 that Coon did not offer any additional information that might justify re-opening the investigation. "While your letters imply facts by stating (It was reported), they do not contain the evidence needed to substantiate the information you present as factual," states a letter signed by Office of Aviation Safety director John DeLisi. "Your letters contend that the weight and balance calculations were performed with the originally planned passengers. However, you do not provide new factual evidence to support your concern and therefore, have not met the basis for a reconsideration of the accident flight's weight and balance," the letter states.

The NTSB also said there was no way to determine if Peterson had flown the Bonanza in actual instrument conditions prior to the accident flight, but "we note that the CAB report states that the pilot had 128 hours in Bonanza aircraft and 52 hours of dual instrument training; several different aircraft were used for the dual training.

"You also offer your theories regarding the rudder pedal, magneto switches and gauge readings on the accident aircraft. However, you do not provide new factual information to support those theories," the Board said in the letter.

(Image from NTSB archive)

FMI: www.ntsb.gov