Experts reveal cause of Buddy Holly plane crash 65 years ago

Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson died in a plane crash. Don McLean's "American Pie" immortalized the event.

On February 3, 1959, the world lost three young musicians in a tragic plane crash. Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson met their untimely end on this fateful day. The term "the day the music died," was popularized by Don McLean in his hit song "American Pie," which reflected on the decline of the 60s and the end of the happy 50s. According to Forbes Magazine, the song's lyrics marked the tragic event that left a lasting impact on music history.

The crash was attributed to rapidly changing wintry weather conditions that were not communicated to the inexperienced pilot. The Civil Aeronautics Board, responsible for investigating the incident, reported that the pilot, Roger Peterson, entered an area of complete darkness and lost visual contact with the ground. He was forced to rely solely on flight instruments for aircraft attitude and orientation.

The ill-fated "Winter Dance Party" tour, in which the musicians were involved, was marred by organizational chaos. The tour schedule was plagued by poor planning, with shows scheduled hundreds of miles apart in the midst of one of the deadliest winters the Midwest had seen in decades. The musicians traveled in drafty buses to perform in small ballrooms and theaters. The conditions were harsh, and by February 1st, Holly's drummer, Carl Bunch, had left the tour with frostbitten feet.

Frustrated with the conditions, Buddy Holly chartered a four-seater plane to get to the next show in Morehead, Minnesota. He invited his guitarist, Tommy Allsup, and his bass guitarist, Waylon Jennings, to join him. Valens, Richardson, Dion and the Belmonts, Frankie Sardo, Jennings, Allsup, and Bunch were also part of the tour.

Tragically, Valens, who had never flown on a small plane before, asked Allsup for his seat. The two flipped a coin, and Valens "won" the seat. Jennings gave up his seat to Richardson, who was suffering from the flu. The decision to board the plane would forever haunt the survivors, with Jennings recalling his last conversation with Holly in jest.

The weather conditions on the night of the crash were harsh, with a brusque 15 degrees temperature and strong winds at the Mason City, Iowa airport. Peterson, the 21-year-old pilot, was only certified for Visual Flight Rules, not Instrument Flight Rules, and had failed the practical flight check nine months before the crash. The plane took off into worsening conditions, and the tragic event unfolded.

The crash site was discovered the next morning, and the investigation revealed that the plane was descending at an alarming rate, despite being set up for cruising at an appropriate high speed. The report concluded that the pilot, inexperienced as he was, might have become confused due to high gusty winds and turbulence, leading to the tragic outcome.

The aftermath of the crash left a lasting impact on the families and loved ones of the victims. Maria Elena Holly, Buddy Holly's wife, was devastated by the news and suffered a miscarriage as a result. The tragedy was a significant loss for the music industry, marking the end of an era and leaving a void that could never be filled.