The day the music died

[George Schilling]

In 1959, Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the BIg Bopper boarded a Beech Bonanza they had chartered to take them to Fargo. The scene has been memorialized in at least two movies, maybe more. Directors often take creative license in recreating the scene. As a pilot, I found it interesting to discover what really happened. I have on several occasions experienced spacial disorientation such as that experienced by the pilot in the story but fortunately my flights ended up better than this one.

http://www.aopa.org/asf/asfarticles/200 ... c_sect=sap" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Kurt Rahn]

Interesting. I never know much about the actual crash. Fascinating to read an analysis like this, from a pilot's perspective. Thanks, George.

[Sebastian Rios]

Straight or V tail?

[Steve Ekstrand]

Did they have V Tail in 1959?


Here's VS Tail....

http://la.mycapture.com/mycapture/enlar ... Stop#Image" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[KJ Christopher]

Did they have V Tail in 1959?


Here's VS Tail....

http://la.mycapture.com/mycapture/enlar ... Stop#Image" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Well, they had VS tail in 1959. I just think it looked a bit different.

[George Schilling]

Straight or V tail?

The plane was a 1947 V-tail. At 12 years old, this was a relatively new plane but of course the instrumentation was pretty primative in a plane that old. Back then they were using AM radio signals for navigation. Even though the pilot had quite a few hours, he was flying an unfamiliar plane in poor weather conditions. The pilot flew the airplane into the ground. They had no chance of survival. Like most private plane accidents, this one can be blamed mostly on weather causing spacial disorientation, but the pilots inexperience in type certainly played a major role. Here's another link that has actual pictures of the crash site.

http://lostflights.smugmug.com/gallery/6477089_bRVru/1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

As a side note, I have experience spacial disorientation in clear skies on moonless nights where the horizon is not clearly defined. I suspect the pilot knew he was disoriented but was additionally confused my the artificial horizon indicator. Either he was totally clueless he was flying in the ground or completely terrified knowing he was in trouble but couldn't figure out how to save the situation.

[Chuck Fowler]

Straight or V tail?

The plane was a 1947 V-tail. At 12 years old, this was a relatively new plane but of course the instrumentation was pretty primative in a plane that old. Back then they were using AM radio signals for navigation. Even though the pilot had quite a few hours, he was flying an unfamiliar plane in poor weather conditions. The pilot flew the airplane into the ground. They had no chance of survival. Like most private plane accidents, this one can be blamed mostly on weather causing spacial disorientation, but the pilots inexperience in type certainly played a major role. Here's another link that has actual pictures of the crash site.

http://lostflights.smugmug.com/gallery/6477089_bRVru/1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

As a side note, I have experience spacial disorientation in clear skies on moonless nights where the horizon is not clearly defined. I suspect the pilot knew he was disoriented but was additionally confused my the artificial horizon indicator. Either he was totally clueless he was flying in the ground or completely terrified knowing he was in trouble but couldn't figure out how to save the situation.

isn't that what they figured happened to John K jr?. i think it was the military channel a few weeks ago, had a great show on spacial disorientation. amazing how it can happen at just about any time

[Bob Pl]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spatial_disorientation" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Chuck Fowler]

friend of mine who dives say's it happens under water too. get low on air. panic and swim down instead of up

[George Schilling]

I've experienced it several times while flying. Even when you know it's happening, it's very difficult to control the urges your mind is telling you to do. Thankfully the first time it happened I had altitude on my side and had plently of time to adjust to the situation so there was minimal panic involved. I was climbing out of Las Vegas on a moonless night climbing to 8500 feet for a VFR flight home with my 3 kids. We had been in Utah on a ski trip and stopped in Vegas on the way home to have dinner with some friends. The night sky was clear as could be but moonless. Upon reaching altitude and leaving the din of the city behind, I began to experience spacial disorentation. It became impossible to distinguish the stars from the occasional light on the ground. Without a clear horizon, I was finding it difficult to fly straight and level with my mind telling me one thing and the instruments another. At the time of the flight, I was not instrument rated, but fortunately a couple hours of flying "under the hood" is a requirement to obtain a private pilots license. This training save me. I fought the urges and flew by instruments only. I can tell you it was a great relief when the lights of Barstow finally came into view to define the horizon. Made for a much more relaxed flight. This experience proved invaluable and probably saved my life more than once in subsequent encounters with spacial disorientation that were much more precarious. You definately don't want the first time to be close to the ground.

[Steve Towers]

Takoffs are optional. Landings are not. ;)

[Chuck Fowler]

Takoffs are optional. Landings are not. ;)

don't do the first, you need not concern yourself with the second