Buddy Holly Plane Crash Investigation May Re-Open

CLEAR LAKE, Iowa (AP) — The National Transportation Safety Board has agreed to consider reopening investigation into what caused an Iowa plane crash that killed musicians Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson and pilot Roger Peterson.

The board will review a letter from L.J. Coon, a New England pilot. Coon contends other factors could have contributed to the crash, including weight and balance calculations and the rate of the plane's climb and descent.

In 1959, the Civil Aeronautics Board ruled that the most likely cause of the crash was pilot error. Snow was listed as a secondary cause.   The plane was on its way to a scheduled concert in Minnesota when it went down after a show in Clear Lake.

An initial response to Coon's information will take about two months. A board spokesman tells The Associated Press that all requests to reconsider past investigations are handled the same.

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