Wednesday, 29 April 2015

US rejects second look at Buddy Holly crash investigation

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Wednesday it will not consider reopening an investigation into the February 1959 plane crash that killed rock 'n' roll pioneer Buddy Holly.

In a letter to Boston musician and pilot L.J. Coon, NTSB said his petition early this year for the investigation's findings to be reviewed lacked "any additional information."

"Therefore, we have determined that your letter does not meet the requirements of a petition for reconsideration and no further action is planned," said the federal agency, which forwarded a copy of the letter to AFP.

Asked by email for comment, Coon suggested the NTSB was brushing him off.

"Did it seem like to you (that) the NTSB just skimmed the surface to pacify me even after reviewing my 24-page petition?" he asked.

Holly, fellow rockers Ritchie Valens and J.P. "Big Bopper" Richardson, and their 21-year-old pilot were killed when their chartered Beechcraft Bonanza crashed soon after takeoff at night from Mason City, Iowa amid gusty wintery weather.

Rock music enthusiasts remember the tragedy as "the day the music died," a phrase immortalized by Don McLean in his 1971 hit "American Pie."

The 1959 investigation blamed the crash on pilot Roger Peterson, who it said was not fully familiar with flying by instruments in poor weather.

The "probable cause" of the accident, it concluded, was "the pilot's unwise decision to embark on a flight which would necessitate flying solely by instruments when he was not properly certified or qualified to do so."

Coon challenged the findings on 12 points that include weight distribution in the four-seat, single-engine Bonanza and the possibility that its carburetor was clogged with ice.

Holly, who was 22, was a seminal figure in the early days of rock 'n' roll with hits such as "That'll Be the Day," "Peggy Sue" and "It Doesn't Matter Anymore."

He was flying to a show in Fargo, North Dakota with Valens, 17, best known for "La Bamba," and Richardson, 28, famous for "Chantilly Lace."

Today, a jumbo replica of Holly's signature thick black glasses marks the spot where the red V-tail Bonanza crashed in a snow-covered farmer's field.



from France 24 - Live news http://ift.tt/1DL9joN

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