The plane crash that killed Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper in 1959 could be re-investigated by US authorities.
The tragedy – often referred to as “the day the music died” after Don McLean’s lyrics in American Pie – took place amid wintery conditions in Iowa. Pilot Roger Peterson, who also died, is thought to have lost control as a result of bad weather and human error.
Holly was 22, Valens was 17 and JP Richardson, the Big Bopper, was 28.
Now the US National Transportation Safety Board have confirmed they’ve received a request to reopen the investigation.
A spokesman says: “We are reviewing the petition to reconsider the Buddy Holly crash, based on certain criteria in our regulations.”
The NTSB are only allowed to re-investigate if new information has come to light. That information is thought to have been received from a pilot named LJ Coon, who tells the Mason City Globe Gazette that he believes Peterson performed “a heroic effort” in attempting to control the plane.
The NTSB have told Coon: “You have gotten our attention. Let us do our due diligence to give you a proper answer.”
The authority was founded in 1967 and took over responsibility for crash investigations. It could take up to a year before a decision is made on the Holly incident.
