U-2 refers to the disaster of 1960 when an American U-2 model spy plane was shot down over the Soviet Union. The Lockheed U-2, nicknamed Dragon Lady, is a surveillance plane with a single seat and single engine. On May 1 1960, a Lockheed U-2 spy plane piloted by Gary Powers left Peshawar, Pakistan for Norway. This trip would take the plane over the Soviet Union. The goal of the trip was to photograph ICBM development sites around the areas of Sverdlovsk and Plesetsk in the Soviet Union. Soviet fighters attempted to stop the plane but could not reach the U-2 because of its high altitude. The Soviets next tried to stop the plane by launching 14 SA-2 Guideline surface-to-air missiles. Ultimately one of those missiles got close enough and the plane was badly damaged and crashed near Sverdlovsk. The pilot, Powers, was captured after parachuting out of the plane.

Four days after the plane was shot down, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) put out a press release informing the public that an aircraft was missing north of Turkey. A U-2 plane painted with NASA colors was shown to the media. When this information reached the Soviet premier, Nikita Khrushchev, he announced that a spy plane had been shot down. The United States denied this and said that the plane was a “weather research aircraft.” The United States said that the plane must have accidentally strayed into Soviet airspace when the pilot had difficulties with his equipment. The White House would not confirm that this “weather research aircraft” was the same plane that the Soviets had found. They did, however, say that it might be the same plane. The White House also presumed the pilot, Powers, to be dead.

The United States maintained that there had been deliberate violation of Soviet airspace. They then grounded all U-2 planes to check for problems with their equipment. Along with the plane, the Soviets also found the surveillance camera and developed the photographs. With the live pilot and photographic proof taken from the plane, the United States were forced to admit to spying on the Soviets. The Paris Summit between Dwight Eisenhower and Nikita Khrushchev collapsed because Eisenhower refused to apologize over the incident.

Gary Powers was convicted of espionage on August 19 and sentenced to three years in prison and seven years of hard labor.