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DES MOINES, Iowa — It was labeled "the day the music died," but speculation has lived on about the cause of the airplane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa, that killed rock 'n' roll legend Buddy Holly and three others in 1959.

The Civil Aeronautics Board ruled on Sept. 23, 1959, that the crash's cause was pilot error and deficiencies in the weather briefing to the pilot. But 56 years later, officials with the National Transportation Safety Board say its cold-case unit is considering reopening the investigation.

L.J. Coon, a New England man who describes himself as a retired pilot, aircraft dispatcher and FAA test proctor, petitioned the NTSB to look at several possible contributing factors that may clear the name of pilot Roger Peterson, who died in the crash at age 21.

"You have gotten our attention," the NTSB wrote to Coon in a Feb. 19 e-mail, promising to look into information that he provided. A decision on whether to reopen the case could take several weeks ...