The Bonanza 35: The Rise and Fall of the V-Tail Airplane

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The Bonanza 35 : The Rise and Fall of the V-Tail Airplane
On February 3, 1959, a Beechcraft Bonanza model 35 with the very popular v-tail configuration, crashed into a crop field just outside of Clear Lake, Iowa.  On board were three famous rock n’ roll musicians, Ritchie Valens, Buddy Holly, and the Big Bopper, as well as their twenty-one year old pilot, Roger Peterson.  Due to bus trouble, the three musicians had chartered a plane with the Dwyer Flying Service at the nearby Mason City Municipal Airport to fly to their next concert in Minnesota.  The plane took off in the normal fashion around 0100 and ascended in a normal fashion, however shortly after takeoff the taillight was observed by the air traffic controller as descending towards...

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