May 1, 1960 at airspace The USSR shot down a Lockheed U-2 reconnaissance aircraft piloted by American pilot Francis Gary Powers. The plane entered from Afghanistan and was shot down by a Soviet surface-to-air missile near Sverdlovsk. Powers survived, was sentenced by a Soviet court to 10 years in prison for espionage, but was later exchanged for Soviet intelligence officer Rudolf Abel, exposed in the USA. The incident caused a loud international scandal and significantly complicated relations between the USSR and the USA.
In the mid-1950s, the U-2 high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft was created in the United States. It was distinguished by the fact that it could fly at high altitudes - up to 20 km and above. The Americans believed that at such a height it would become inaccessible to Soviet air defenses and would not be able to detect it in the USSR. The plane could reach a speed of about 800 km/h. It could carry a large amount of data collection equipment, including eight cameras. high resolution. Such cameras made it possible to cover an area of 4300x800 km in one flight. Launched in the USA whole program on the use of reconnaissance aircraft. The initiator of the U-2 spy plane flights was CIA Deputy Director for Covert Operations Planning Richard Bissell. The Americans even created special unit"Detachment 10-10", whose planes flew over the Warsaw Bloc countries and along the borders of the USSR. In total, according to some data, over the territory Soviet Union Until 1960, 24 flights of U-2 aircraft were carried out. These planes collected information about large quantities military and industrial facilities. A U-2 first invaded Soviet airspace on July 4, 1956. The scout took off from the American military base in Germany and flew over Moscow, Leningrad and the Baltic coast. The fact of the invasion was recorded by the Soviet Union, the USSR sent a note of protest, demanding that reconnaissance flights be stopped, but since 1957 they have resumed. Also, thanks to the U-2, American intelligence was able to find out the location of the Baikonur Cosmodrome in 1957 precisely thanks to the next flight of the U-2 aircraft. The Americans didn't stop there. On April 9, 1960, a spy plane flew over Semipalatinsk nuclear test site, photographed ready to explode atomic bomb, and returned back with impunity. Until the end of 1959, there was no effective remedy countering high-altitude U-2.
Gary Powers was considered the most experienced pilot in the 10-10 squad. He already had 27 flights over the territories of Poland, East Germany, China and the USSR. On May 1, 1960, a U-2 piloted by Powers crossed state border USSR at 5:36 Moscow time. This happened 20 km southeast of the city of Kirovabad, Tajik SSR. The plane was supposed to fly along the route: Peshawar (Pakistan) - Aral Sea - Sverdlovsk - Kirov - Plesetsk and land at Bude airfield in Norway. The flight was expected to take 9 hours. During this time, Powers had to fly about 6 thousand km, of which almost 5 thousand were over Soviet territory. The plane's route passed over important industrial centers and military bases. If detected by Soviet air defenses, Powers was ordered to press the vehicle's self-destruct button, since the U-2 must under no circumstances be hit by the Russians.
When the U-2 began to approach the USSR border south of Dushanbe at an altitude of more than 19 km at 5.36 Moscow time, the plane was spotted by Soviet air defenses. By 8 am the flight was reported to the Minister of Defense, the Chairman of the KGB, members of the Politburo and Khrushchev. By this time, Powers had already flown over Magnitogorsk, Chelyabinsk and was approaching Sverdlovsk. A single Su-9 interceptor fighter was scrambled to intercept the intruder. The plane was not armed, as it was being transported from the factory to the flight unit, the pilot Igor Mentyukov received an order to ram the enemy. At the same time, Mentyukov had no chance to escape - due to the urgency of the flight, he did not put on a high-altitude compensation suit and could not eject safely. However, the Su-9 failed to detect Powers' U-2 due to incorrect guidance from the ground. In addition, the reconnaissance aircraft constantly disappeared from radar. When the Su-9 began to run out of fuel, Mentyukov was forced to return to the airfield.
Then it was decided to shoot down the U-2 with a missile. Several missiles were fired, but only one of them, fired from the S-75 air defense system, resulted in damage to the reconnaissance aircraft. This was the first combat launch of a rocket on the territory of the USSR. At 8:53 a.m., the first missile fired exploded behind Powers' plane, tearing off the U-2's wing and damaging its engine and tail. But the pilot remained unharmed. The plane began to fall uncontrollably from a height of over 20 km. Several more anti-aircraft missiles were fired. Then Powers decided to jump at an altitude, according to some sources, 10 km, according to others, 5 km. He had barely left the plane when another missile hit the U-2 with a direct hit. The pilot managed to parachute safely and was detained on the ground. local residents near the village of Kosulino.
The United States responded to the incident only on May 3. A report was published that on May 1, 1960, a U-2 aircraft belonging to NASA went missing. The device allegedly carried out meteorological research in upper layers atmosphere. The report said it may have crashed in the area of Turkey's Lake Van. The United States did not mention that it could have been a reconnaissance aircraft. The reasons and circumstances of the plane's death were still clear to the Americans. The United States believed that the plane was destroyed while carrying out the mission. However, an official statement from the USSR soon followed. Nikita Sergeevich Khrushchev announced on May 7 that Soviet air defense had shot down American spy. Moreover, it was reported that the pilot was alive. Deny that the plane was American intelligence they couldn't anymore. Eisenhower, who was then president of the United States, was forced to admit that it was a reconnaissance plane, and flights over Soviet territory continued for several years.
On August 17, 1960, Powers' trial took place. He pleaded guilty. Two days later he was sentenced to 10 years in prison. However, already on February 10, 1962, he was exchanged for the Soviet intelligence officer William Fisher (Rudolf Abel). The exchange took place in Berlin on the Glienicke Bridge. Powers was also awaiting trial in his homeland. He was accused of violating official instructions and was tested on a polygraph. Nevertheless, the investigative and Senate commissions concluded that he was innocent. After the incident in the skies over the USSR, he continued to work for several more years military aviation. Powers died on August 1, 1977, in a helicopter crash. His car was photographing a fire in the vicinity of Santa Barbara in California. One of possible reasons Lack of fuel could have caused a disaster. After his death, Powers was posthumously awarded several medals and decorations, including the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Silver Star, the third-highest U.S. military award.
After the May 1, 1960 incident, the United States no longer conducted U-2 reconnaissance flights over Soviet territory. The incident had serious political consequences, significantly complicating relations between the USSR and the USA. So American President was forced to cancel his visit to Moscow, and Nikita Khrushchev did not fly to the summit in Paris, at which the leaders of the USSR, USA, Great Britain and France planned to discuss issues of arms control.
On May 1, 1960, an American Lockheed U-2 reconnaissance aircraft piloted by pilot Francis Powers ( Francis Powers), violated the airspace of the USSR and was shot down near the city of Sverdlovsk (now Yekaterinburg).
This was not the first flight made by the U-2 over the territory of the USSR. This aircraft, whose flight altitude was 20-24 kilometers, was ideal for espionage purposes, since it was inaccessible to either fighters or anti-aircraft gunners.
Flying at such an altitude in the stratosphere, such planes could photograph objects of interest to them, and the quality of the photographs made it possible to even see the numbers on planes parked at airfields.
The technical superiority of this high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft over all other machines of this type allowed the Americans to fly over especially sensitive areas with impunity for several years. important objects on the territory of the USSR. For invulnerability to funds air defense In the United States, the U-2 was named Dragon Lady.
The pilots participating in reconnaissance flights acted as “civilians” without any documents, while the planes themselves, sent on “business”, did not have identification marks.
Attempts to intercept American high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft violating Soviet airspace were made repeatedly by Soviet MiG-19 fighters, but the difference in flight altitude did not allow them to shoot down the intruder.
The situation changed on May 1, 1960. Early in the morning on this holiday for Soviet citizens, a U-2 reconnaissance aircraft under the control of US Air Force Senior Lieutenant Francis Powers took off from the Peshawar base (Pakistan) towards the USSR border on another reconnaissance mission - Operation Overflight. , the purpose of which was to photograph military and industrial facilities and record signals from Soviet radar stations.
The flight route ran through the territory of Afghanistan, a significant part of the territory of the USSR - the Aral Sea, Sverdlovsk, Kirov and Plesetsk - and ended at the Bodø airbase in Norway.
In order not to give himself away, the pilot was strictly forbidden to maintain radio contact with both the airfield in Peshawar and the American base in Incirlik (Turkey). Powers crossed Soviet border at 5.36 Moscow time southeast of the city of Pyanj (since 1963 - Kirovabad, Tajikistan) and from that moment was constantly accompanied by radar stations of the USSR Air Defense Forces. But time after time, attempts to intercept the U-2 ended in failure. Powers had already passed Tyuratam (Baikonur training ground, Kazakhstan), walked along Aral Sea, left Magnitogorsk and Chelyabinsk behind, almost approached Sverdlovsk, and the air defense could not do anything with it - the planes did not have enough altitude, and ground-based anti-aircraft missiles were almost nowhere to be found.
When Powers approached Sverdlovsk, a Su-9 high-altitude fighter-interceptor, which had a service ceiling of up to 20 kilometers, was lifted from the nearby Koltsovo airfield, which happened to be there. But the plane had no weapons, since it was being transported from the factory to its duty station, and the pilot was without an altitude-compensating suit. Therefore, the pilot was ordered to destroy the American reconnaissance aircraft with a ram. However, due to errors by the guidance operator and failure of the onboard radar station, the ram did not take place. The pilot was able to make only one attempt due to lack of fuel, since the Su-9 could only rise to such a height with full afterburner.
After unsuccessful attempt the ram from the airfield near Sverdlovsk were two MiG-19s under the control of captain Boris Ayvazyan and senior lieutenant Sergei Safronov. The American spy plane has already spent more than three hours in the airspace of the Soviet Union, going to a depth of 2.1 thousand kilometers from the border. He photographed the closed "nuclear" city of Chelyabinsk-40. At a distance of 30 kilometers southeast of Sverdlovsk, Powers changed course, turning 90 degrees. His next goal was Plesetsk.
At this time, U-2 entered the range of the missile division, which was armed with anti-aircraft guns. missile systems S-75, which entered service in the late 1950s and is capable of hitting targets at an altitude of more than 25 kilometers.
At 8.53, the first S-75 air defense missile fired approached the U-2 from behind, but the radio fuse went off prematurely. The explosion tore off the tail section of the plane, and the car, nose-diving, began to fall. Pilot Powers did not use the ejection seat.
He later claimed that it contained an explosive device that was supposed to go off during ejection to prevent the plane from falling into enemy hands. Powers, having waited until he was at a height where he could breathe without an oxygen device, got out of the plane falling apart and jumped out with a parachute.
After the U-2 disintegrated in the air, the radar operator mistook the falling debris for enemy radar jamming. In the heat of battle, no one could understand whether the missile hit the target or whether its self-destruct device was activated, whether the intruder was destroyed or not, and how many targets were in the air. Therefore, it was decided to continue working on the U-2, and the neighboring S-75 air defense system division fired a salvo at the target. One of the missiles from the second salvo almost hit the Su-9.
The same missile salvo hit two MiG-19 fighters pursuing the intruder. Sergei Safronov's car was shot down, the pilot died, and his partner, who managed to notice the missile heading towards his plane, managed to escape from the impact in a dive.
Powers landed near a Ural village, where he was captured by local residents. Later, the pilot was taken by helicopter to an airfield near Sverdlovsk, and then sent to Moscow.
The wreckage of the U-2 was scattered over a huge area, but almost all of it had been collected, including the relatively well-preserved forward part of the fuselage with the center section and cockpit with equipment, the turbojet engine and the rear fuselage with the fin. Almost all components and assemblies bore the markings of American companies, and the reconnaissance equipment, the aircraft detonation unit and the pilot’s personal weapon irrefutably testified to the military purpose of the aircraft. Later, an exhibition of trophies was organized in the Moscow Gorky Park of Culture and Leisure.
After information about the destruction of the U-2 was disseminated, the Americans, thinking that no evidence had been preserved, generally denied the very fact of a deliberate border violation. It was then stated that the pilot was lost. But Soviet side refuted this statement, providing evidence in the form of aircraft debris and testimony from the pilot himself.
The American administration had to admit that its reconnaissance aircraft continue to fly over high altitude Soviet territory to monitor military preparations (Washington previously denied this). As a result, the summit did not take place in Paris (France), at which it was planned to discuss the situation in divided Germany, the possibility of arms control, prohibitions nuclear tests and easing tensions between the USSR and the USA. The visit of US President Dwight Eisenhower to Moscow, scheduled for June 1960, was cancelled.
Military personnel who distinguished themselves in the operation to destroy a spy plane. 21 people received orders and medals; the Order of the Red Banner was awarded to senior lieutenant Sergei Safronov and the commanders of anti-aircraft missile divisions.
Military Collegium Supreme Court In August 1960, the USSR sentenced Powers to ten years in prison, with the first three years to be served in prison under the article “espionage,” but the American pilot spent only 108 days in prison. In February 1962, in Berlin, Powers was exchanged for Soviet intelligence officer Rudolf Abel (real name William Fisher) - according to an agreement reached by the governments of the USSR and the USA.
After returning to the United States, the pilot was subjected to a lie detector test by an investigative commission. He was completely rehabilitated. In October 1962, Powers ended his career with the Central Intelligence Agency and went to work for Lockheed, where he spent flight tests U-2. In 1970, after he wrote a book of memoirs, Operation Overflight, which caused the displeasure of many US intelligence leaders, the pilot was fired. After that, he began flying helicopters, first as a "green patrol", and then for a radio television news agency in Los Angeles: In August 1977, he died when the helicopter he was piloting crashed while returning from filming a firefight in Santa Barbara.
In 2011, the US Air Force posthumously awarded Francis Powers the Silver Star for his "courage during brutal interrogation by Soviet interrogators" and his resilience in the face of "deception, intrigue, insults and the threat of death." The son of the pilot, the founder of the museum, asked the Air Force to consider the possibility of awarding Powers. cold war"in Virginia (USA).
The material was prepared based on information from RIA Novosti and open sources
(1977-08-01 ) (47 years old)
U-2 with dummy insignia and fictitious registration number NASA. The plane, unveiled to the press on May 6, 1960, was intended to prove that Powers was a NASA pilot and not a CIA pilot.
Gary Powers is a prisoner in the USSR.
Events of May 1, 1960
The U-2 was shot down by a missile at extreme range while firing at the plane in pursuit. A non-contact detonation of the warhead occurred from the rear hemisphere. At about 9.00 the pilot was blinded strong flash at the tail of the aircraft at an altitude of 21,740 meters. As a result, the tail section of the aircraft was destroyed (“ chopped off the tail"), but the pressurized cabin with the pilot remained intact. The plane lost control, went into a tailspin and began to fall from a height of over 20 kilometers. The pilot did not panic, waited until the altitude was 10 thousand meters and left the plane, falling over the side without using a catapult, then activated the parachute at five kilometers. Upon landing, he was detained by local residents near the Kosulino station, not far from the wreckage of the downed plane. According to the version heard during the trial of Powers, according to the instructions, he was supposed to use an ejection seat, but did not do this, because he knew from one of the technicians that this would trigger an explosive charge, and at an altitude of about 10 km [ ] left the plane on his own.
As soon as it became known about the destruction of the plane, US President Eisenhower officially announced that the pilot had gotten lost while carrying out a mission from meteorologists, but the Soviet side quickly refuted these allegations, presenting to the world the wreckage of special equipment and the testimony of the pilot himself.
On May 31, 1960, Nikita Khrushchev sent a telegram to Powers' father, Oliver Powers, saying:
I received your letter asking me to give your son a note from his mother. In your letter you said that there was a note attached to it, but for some reason it was not in the envelope. I must inform you that your son will be tried according to the laws of the Soviet Union. The law is the law, I am not able to interfere in matters that are within the full competence of the court. If you want to come to the Soviet Union to see your son, I am ready to help you in this matter.
Declassified CIA documents released in 2010 showed that US officials did not believe Powers' version of the incident because it contradicted the agency's secret report. national security, which claimed that the U-2's altitude dropped from 65,000 to 34,000 feet (20 to 10 km) before changing course and disappearing from radar screens. The National Security Agency report remains classified.
Memory
« The Soviet military knew Powers' route, and it was led from the very border. Four divisions of missile forces were already waiting near Sverdlovsk for the U-2.”, - N. Fomin.Life after returning to the USA
Upon his return to the United States, Powers received a cold reception. Powers was initially accused of failing to act as a pilot to detonate a reconnaissance camera, film and secret equipment, and of failing to commit suicide using a special poison needle that had been given to him by a CIA officer. However, the military inquiry and the investigation of the Senate Subcommittee on armed forces All charges against him were dropped. Powers continued to work in military aviation, but there is no information about his further cooperation with intelligence. From 1963 to 1970, Powers worked for Lockheed as a test pilot.
In 1970, he co-authored the book Operation Overflight: Memoirs of the U-2 Incident. Operation Overflight: A Memoir of the U-2 Incident). In 1972, the book was published in the USSR in a small edition with the stamp “ Distributed across special list ", did not go on sale.
He subsequently became a radio commentator for radio station KGIL, and then a helicopter pilot for the KNBC radio and television news agency in Los Angeles. On August 1, 1977, he died in a helicopter crash while returning from filming a fire in the vicinity of Santa Barbara; the probable cause of the fall was lack of fuel; TV cameraman George Spears died along with Powers. At the last moment, he noticed children playing in the area and directed the helicopter to another place to prevent their death (if not for this deviation in last second, which jeopardized his autorotation descent, he could have landed safely) [ ] . Buried in Arlington Cemetery.
Despite the failure of his famous reconnaissance flight, Powers was posthumously decorated in 2000 (he received the Prisoner of War Medal, the Distinguished Flying Cross, and the National Defense Commemorative Medal). On June 12, 2012, the Chief of Staff of the US Air Force, General Norton Schwartz, presented Powers' grandson and granddaughter with the Silver Star, the third highest military award USA - for the fact that “ steadfastly rejected all attempts to get life important information about defense or to be exploited for propaganda purposes».
Francis Gary Powers Gary Powers; August 17, 1929 – August 1, 1977) was an American pilot who performed reconnaissance missions for the CIA. The U-2 spy plane piloted by Powers was shot down during a flight near Sverdlovsk on May 1, 1960. Powers survived, was sentenced by a Soviet court to 10 years in prison for espionage, but was later exchanged for Soviet intelligence officer Rudolf Abel, exposed in the United States.
American spy pilot Francis Harry Powers, whose Lockheed U-2 spy plane was shot down by a Soviet anti-aircraft missile near Sverdlovsk. Russia, Moscow. November 16, 1960
Born in Jenkins, Kentucky, the son of a miner (later a shoemaker). He graduated from Milligan College near Johnson City, Tennessee.
Since May 1950, he voluntarily entered service in American army, trained at the Air Force School in Greenville, Mississippi, and then at an air force base near Phoenix, Arizona. During his studies, he flew on T-6 and T-33 aircraft, as well as on an F-80 aircraft. After graduation, he served as a pilot at various US air force bases, holding the rank of first lieutenant. Flew on the F-84 fighter-bomber. He had to participate in Korean War, however, before being sent to the theater of operations, he developed appendicitis, and after being cured, Powers was recruited by the CIA as experienced pilot and never made it to Korea. In 1956, with the rank of captain, he left the Air Force and went full-time to work for the CIA, where he was assigned to the U-2 spy plane program. As Powers testified during the investigation, for carrying out intelligence missions he was given a monthly salary of $2,500, whereas during his service in air force The US paid him $700 a month.
Francis Gary Powers is undergoing flight training. 1956
After engaging in cooperation with American intelligence he was sent to pass special training to an airfield located in the Nevada desert. At this airfield, which was also part of a nuclear test site, for two and a half months he studied the Lockheed U-2 high-altitude aircraft and mastered the control of equipment designed to intercept radio signals and radar signals. On aircraft of this type, Powers made training flights at high altitudes and at long distances over California, Texas and the northern part of the USA. After special training, Powers was sent to the American-Turkish military air base Incirlik, located near the city of Adana. On instructions from the command of the 10-10 unit, Powers, since 1956, systematically made reconnaissance flights on a U-2 aircraft along the borders of the Soviet Union with Turkey, Iran and Afghanistan.
On May 1, 1960, Powers performed another flight over the USSR. The purpose of the flight was to photograph military and industrial facilities of the Soviet Union and record signals from Soviet radar stations. The intended flight route began at the air force base in Peshawar, passed over the territory of Afghanistan, over the territory of the USSR from south to north at an altitude of 20,000 meters along the route Aral Sea - Sverdlovsk - Kirov - Arkhangelsk - Murmansk and ended at the military air base in Bodø, Norway.
Francis Gary Powers in special equipment for long flights in the stratosphere
The U-2 piloted by Powers crossed the state border of the USSR at 5:36 Moscow time, twenty kilometers southeast of the city of Kirovabad, Tajik SSR, at an altitude of 20 km. At 8:53, near Sverdlovsk, the plane was shot down by surface-to-air missiles from the S-75 air defense system. The first missile fired (the second and third did not leave the guides) of the S-75 air defense system hit the U-2 near Degtyarsk, tore off the wing of Powers’ plane, and damaged the engine and tail section. To ensure reliable destruction, several more anti-aircraft missiles were fired (a total of 8 missiles were fired that day, which was not mentioned in the official Soviet version of events). As a result, he was accidentally shot down soviet fighter The MiG-19, which flew lower, was unable to rise to the U-2's flight altitude. Pilot Soviet plane Senior Lieutenant Sergei Safronov died and was posthumously awarded the Order of the Red Banner.
Remains of a downed plane
In addition, a single Su-9 was scrambled to intercept the intruder. This plane was being transported from the factory to the unit and did not carry weapons, so its pilot Igor Mentyukov received an order to ram the enemy (he had no chance to escape - due to the urgency of the flight, he did not put on a high-altitude compensation suit and could not eject safely), however, he failed to cope with the task.
The U-2 was shot down by an S-75 missile at extreme range while firing at the plane in pursuit. A non-contact detonation of the warhead occurred from behind the aircraft. As a result, the tail section of the aircraft was destroyed, but the pressurized cabin with the pilot remained intact. The plane began to fall randomly from a height of over 20 kilometers. The pilot did not panic, waited until the altitude was 10 thousand meters and got out of the car. Then, at five kilometers, the parachute was activated; upon landing, he was detained by local residents near the village of Kosulino, not far from the wreckage of the downed plane. According to the version heard during the trial of Powers, according to the instructions, he was supposed to use the ejection seat, but did not do this, and at an altitude of about 10 km, in conditions of a disorderly fall of the car, he left the plane on his own.
At the site of the plane crash
As soon as it became known about the destruction of the plane, US President Eisenhower officially announced that the pilot had gotten lost while carrying out a meteorological mission, but the Soviet side quickly refuted these allegations, presenting the world with fragments of special equipment and the testimony of the pilot himself.
Soviet official Andrei Gromyko speaks at a press conference regarding the U-2 incident
During the press conference
Exhibition of the remains of the downed American U-2 spy plane. Central Park culture and recreation named after Gorky. Russia Moscow
Khrushchev is shown the wreckage of a downed U-2
Khrushchev visiting the exhibition
Military attaches of embassies foreign countries at the exhibition of the remains of the American U-2 spy plane, shot down on May 1, 1960 near Sverdlovsk (now Yekaterinburg). Central Park of Culture and Leisure named after Gorky. Russia Moscow
One of the parts of an automatic radio compass
Lenses of an aerial camera mounted on an airplane
The engine of the downed American Lockheed U-2 aircraft, flown by spy pilot Francis Gary Powers, on display in Gorky Park. Russia, Moscow
Money and bribery items supplied to Francis Gary Powers
American intelligence equipment
On August 19, 1960, Gary Powers was sentenced by the Military Collegium of the Supreme Court of the USSR under Article 2 “On criminal liability for state crimes” to 10 years in prison, with the first three years to be served in prison.
At the Powers trial
Powers during the trial
On February 10, 1962, in Berlin on the Glienicke Bridge, Powers was exchanged for the Soviet intelligence officer William Fisher (aka Rudolf Abel). The exchange took place through the mediation of East German lawyer Wolfgang Vogel.
Upon his return to the United States, Powers received a cold reception. Initially, Powers was accused of failing to perform his duty as a pilot to detonate the AFA reconnaissance explosive device, the footage and secret equipment, and also for failing to commit suicide using a special poisoned needle that was given to him by a CIA officer. However, a military inquiry and an investigation by the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee cleared him of all charges.
Francis Gary Powers holds a model of the U-2 before testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee on February 10, 1962.
Francis Gary Powers testifies before a Senate committee.
Powers continued to work in military aviation, but there is no information about his further cooperation with intelligence. Between 1963 and 1970, Powers worked for Lockheed as a test pilot. In 1970, he co-authored the book Operation Overflight: A Memoir of the U-2 Incident. Rumor has it that this led to his dismissal from Lockheed due to negative information about the CIA in the book.
Aircraft designer K. Johnson and G. Powers in front of the U-2
He then became a radio commentator for KGIL and then a helicopter pilot for KNBC in Los Angeles. On August 1, 1977, he died in a helicopter crash while returning from filming a fire in the Santa Barbara area. The probable cause of the crash was lack of fuel. Along with Powers, television cameraman George Spears died. Buried in Arlington Cemetery.
Despite the failure of his famous reconnaissance flight, Powers was posthumously awarded for it in 2000. (received the Prisoner of War Medal, Distinguished Service Cross, National Defense Commemorative Medal). On June 12, 2012, U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff General Norton Schwartz presented Powers' grandson and granddaughter with the Silver Star, the third-highest U.S. military award, for "steadfastly rejecting all attempts to obtain vital defense information or to be exploited for propaganda purposes." »
Events around the trial in photographs by Karl Mydans
The wife of an American pilot arrived in Moscow
Members of the Powers family arrived in Moscow
Members of the Powers family outside the American Embassy
Barbara Powers' mother, American Consul Richard Snyder, the pilot's parents, Barbara, Powers' wife during the trial
The Powers couple, parents of an American pilot
Oliver Powers, father of an American pilot accused of spying for the Soviets
Oliver Powers talking to family friend Saul Curry and an unknown person Soviet official
The courthouse where the trial took place
Francis Gary Powers on Soviet television on the day the trial began
The parents of an American pilot relax in a hotel room during a break in the espionage process.
People near the building where the trial of the American pilot took place
Muscovites on the street during the trial of an American pilot
Oliver Powers addressed the press conference Soviet authorities asking for mercy for his son
The Powers in their hotel room after a press conference