The Surf Balllroom where Buddy Holly made his last appearance is on the National Register of Historic Places.
The National Transportation Safety Board has agreed to consider reopening the investigation into one of Iowa’s most famous plane crashes. The NTSB has agreed to consider another investigation into the 1959 plane crash near Clear Lake that killed rock and roll musicians Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, The Big Bopper J.P. Richardson, and pilot Roger Peterson.
The decision follows a letter from an experienced New England pilot, L.J. Coon, who says there were other issues involving weight and balance calculations, the rate of the plane’s climb and descent, fuel gage readings, and the passenger-side rudder that the board should investigate. The Civil Aeronautics Board in 1959 ruled the most likely cause of the crash was pilot error and snow was listed as a secondary cause.
The NTSB’s initial response to Coon’s claims will take about two months and it could take up to a year to determine if a petition will be granted.
(Reporting by Bob Fisher, KRIB, Mason City)