Clear Lake, Iowa Crash Statistics


Big Bopper's Flight Receipt


After Jerry Dwyer (plane owner) discovered the plane at 9:30 am, newsmen & others gathered at the crash site, but were barred until Dr. Ralph Smiley (acting coroner) arrived at 11:30.

The plane:
Beechcraft Bonanza, model 35, serial # D-1019,
wing number N3794N, manufactured October 1947,
sold to Jerry Dwyer (Dwyer Flying Service) of Mason City, IA in June 1958
(*NOTE* The plane had no "name" as many believe.
It was not named the "American Pie" as in the Don Maclean song!)

1947 Beechcraft Bonanza Gallery


Crash site:
5.4 miles NW of Clear Lake, IA on the property of Albert Juhl. The pilot was flying on a straight NW line & was at a very low angle to the ground when it hit. The left wing of the plane struck ground, plowing a 50 ft. furrow before the body of the plane hit ground. The wing fell off, the plane bounced 50 feet before hitting again. The fuselage split open & threw the bodies out then cartwheeled 17 feet before it hit the fence.

It had skidded a total of 570 feet from official impact to stopping point.

Pilot Roger Peterson was entangled in the plane wreckage,
Buddy Holly was thrown 12 ft. SW of the wreckage,
Ritchie Valens 10 ft. South,
The Big Bopper was thrown 40 ft. into the next field after the plane hit the fence.

Using metal cutting tools, it took officials 2 hours to open a space
in the wreckage to get pilot Peterson's body out.

Roger Peterson

** parts of the plane were scattered over 540 feet
** there was no evidence of engine malfunction
** the engine was producing power at the time of impact
** airspeed indicator was stuck between 165-170 miles per hour
** the landing gear was retracted at time of impact
** the radio transmitter was tuned to the proper Mason City frequency
** the rate of climb indicator was stuck at 3000 ft. per minute...DESCENT
** the altitude gyro indicated a 90 degree right bank & nose-down attitude.


The plane was loaded on a flatbed trailer & taken to the Mason City Airport
to be dismantled piece by piece for further inspection by the Civil Aeronautics Board.


CONCLUSION ???
Though there is no definite conclusion, by the above findings of the plane wreckage the FAA ruled the crash result of "pilot error". It also appears that pilot Peterson had failed previous flight training in some areas, suffered from vertigo (in one session took a right wing nose dive), and was not experienced with the NEW altitude gauges which were installed in this plane.

It is expected that he started heading NW towards Fargo, ND (explaining the right wing angle)...read the gauge as ascending, when in fact he was descending at 3000 ft. per minute.

He also was probably distracted and excited that he was in the company
of three of rock & roll's biggest stars.

---

Then-Cerro Gordo County Sheriff Jerry Allen found an envelope containing
Buddy Holly's glasses, the Big Bopper's watch, a cigarette lighter and some dice when searching through old records at the courthouse in Mason City, Iowa during February of 1980. The envelope was marked Charles Hardin Holly - rec'd April 7, 1959 - all items were returned to the families.




Rare photo of Bopper's luggage stacked together at the site,
Buddy's overnight bag is on top of the right case.


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