The Beechcraft Bonanza was first manufactured in 1947, and quickly became one of the most popular private aircraft. That history was marred in February 1959 when a Bonanza crashed in a nighttime snowstorm in Iowa, killing three famous musicians: J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson, Ritchie Valens and Charles Hardin "Buddy" Holly. However, a Civil Aeronautics Board investigation blamed the crash on the pilot's "unwise" decision to fly in adverse conditions.
In 1984, experts from the John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center found several problems with the design of the Bonanza V-tail. Specifically, the Bonanza V-tail's stability and handling characteristics gave pilots encouragement to exceed the allowable flight speeds at certain altitudes.
A study by the AOPA found that there was a lower accident rate for Bonanza aircraft compared to comparable single-engine aircraft. About 69 percent of Bonanza accidents were caused by pilot error, while mechanical problems caused 19 percent and maintenance problems were responsible for 11 percent.
