WARNING: EXPLICIT MATERIAL

Roger Peterson

Birth Name:

Roger Arthur Peterson

Birth Date:

May 24, 1937

Birth Place:

Alta, Iowa

Death Date:

February 3, 1959

Place of Death:

Albert Juhl’s corn field, 22728 Gull Avenue, Clear Lake, Iowa

Age:

Cause of Death:

Plane crash

Cemetery Name:

Buena Vista Memorial Park Cemetery

Claim to Fame:

Disasters

Roger Peterson was the pilot who flew the plane that crashed, killing himself and all of the passengers which included musicians Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson. The event later became known as "The Day the Music Died", after singer-songwriter Don McLean referred to it as such in his 1971 song "American Pie".

The death of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson was pilot error.

The official investigation was carried out by the Civil Aeronautics Board. It emerged that Peterson had over four years of flying experience, of which one was with Dwyer Flying Service, and had accumulated 711 flying hours, of which 128 were on Bonanzas. He had also logged 52 hours of instrument flight training, passed only his written examination, and was not yet qualified to operate in weather that required flying solely by reference to instruments. Peterson and Dwyer Flying Service itself were certified to operate only under visual flight rules, which essentially require that the pilot must be able to see where he is going. However, on the night of the accident, visual flight would have been virtually impossible due to the low clouds, the lack of a visible horizon, and the absence of ground lights over the sparsely populated area.

The weather conditions and low visibility required skills that Roger Peterson did not possess.

Married only a year with no children, the widow of Roger Peterson (now Deanne Peterson) eventually remarried and moved to Minnesota.

Cemetery Information:

Final Resting Place:

Buena Vista Memorial Park Cemetery

875 IA-7

Storm Lake, Iowa, 50588

USA

North America

Grave Location Description

After entering at the south entrance off of the interstate, take the right road and make the first right. Drive east for about 85 feet and Roger Peterson’s grave is located on your right, 4 rows in from the road.