FILE 006 // PUBLIC RECORD
The U-2 Incident
A CIA U-2 aircraft piloted by Francis Gary Powers was shot down over the Soviet Union on May 1, 1960, exposing the reconnaissance program and disrupting diplomacy.
DOCUMENTATION CONFIDENCE
HighMultiple official or primary archival sources consistently establish the core dates, organizations, events, and outcomes summarized in this file.
CASE OVERVIEW
The U-2 Incident: What the public record documents
The United States said a weather plane had gone missing. Then the Soviets revealed they had captured the pilot alive.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The public record identifies The U-2 Incident as a aerial reconnaissance matter associated with CIA during 1960. A CIA U-2 aircraft piloted by Francis Gary Powers was shot down over the Soviet Union on May 1, 1960, exposing the reconnaissance program and disrupting diplomacy.
The United States said a weather plane had gone missing. Then the Soviets revealed they had captured the pilot alive.
A CIA U-2 aircraft piloted by Francis Gary Powers was shot down over the Soviet Union on May 1, 1960, exposing the reconnaissance program and disrupting diplomacy.
The linked source set contains 2 official or primary archival records. Together, these materials establish the responsible organizations, the relevant time period, the reported location, and the official findings or historical conclusions summarized in this file.
Where the underlying records contain allegations, witness statements, preliminary leads, or unresolved observations, this archive identifies them as claims or unresolved material rather than established fact. The appearance of a statement in a government file does not by itself prove that the statement is accurate.
KEY FINDINGS
Documented time period: 1960.
Primary organizations or record holders: CIA.
Principal location: Near Sverdlovsk, USSR.
Archive topic: Aerial Reconnaissance.
DOCUMENT ANALYSIS
U.S. State Department — The U-2 Incident
Official archival or primary-source recordProvides the official diplomatic history and documentary record used to establish foreign-policy context.
OPEN DOCUMENT ↗CIA Museum — U-2 Aircraft
Official archival or primary-source recordProvides released CIA records or official historical material describing the operation, program, or agency assessment.
OPEN DOCUMENT ↗SOURCE DOCUMENTS
U.S. State Department — The U-2 IncidentOfficial or primary archival source used to document this file.OPEN SOURCE ↗CIA Museum — U-2 AircraftOfficial or primary archival source used to document this file.OPEN SOURCE ↗