Sunday 3 February 2019

the day the music died

On this evening in 1959, a chartered 1947 Beechcraft Bonanza (the six-seater light aircraft still in production, making it the longest continuously distributed model in history), took off in blizzard conditions from the Mason City Municipal Airport, piloted by Roger Peterson. Shortly after takeoff, the plane crashed into cornfield outside of neighbouring Clear Lake, Iowa, killing the pilot and compliment of passengers, Ritchie Valens, Buddy Holly and the Big Bopper—J P Richardson.