The Central Intelligence Agency and Overhead Reconnaissance; The U-2 and OXCART Programs, 1954-1974

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~eerct NOPORl<I
Chapter 2
wings parallel to the ground duriing takeoff. Once airborne, Rose
made a low-level pass over the airstrip and shook loose the lefthand
pogo. When he attempted to make a righthand turn to come back over
the runway to shake loose the remaining pogo. Rose stalled the U-2
and it plunged to earth, disintegratiing over a wide area. Three months
later. on 3 1 August 1956, a second fatal crash occurred during a
night-flying exercise. Frank G. Grace stalled article 354 at an altitude
of about 50 feet when he tried to climb too steeply at takeoff. The
craft fell , cartwheeled on its left wing. and struck a power pole near
the runway. More experienced U-2 pilots always cut back abruptly on
the throttle as soon as the pogo sticks fell away in order to avoid such
stal Is.
Before the year was out, two more U-2s were destroyed in
crashes. one of them fatal. On 17 September 1956, article 346 lost
part of its right wing while on its takeoff ascent from Lindsey Air
Force Base in Wiesbaden, Germany. The aircraft disintegrated in mid­
air. killing pilot Howard Carey. The loss of article 357 on l 9
December 1956 resulted from pilot hypoxia. A small leak prema­
turdy depleted the oxygen supply and impaired Robert J. Ericson's
judgment as he flew over Arizona. Because of his inability to act
quickly and keep track of his aircraft's speed. the U-2 exceeded the
placarded speed of 190 knots and literally disintegrated when it
reached 270 knots. Ericson managed to jettison the canopy and was
sucked out of the aircraft at 28,0001 feet. His chute opened automati­
cally at 15,000 feet, and he landed without injury. The aircraft was a
total loss."''
COORDINATION OF COLLECTION REQUIREMENTS
From the very beginning of the U-2 program. it was apparent that
some sort of an interagency task force or office would be needed to
develop and coordinate collection requirements for the covert over­
head reconnaissance effort. In a 1three-page memorandum to DCI
Dulles on 5 November 1954 setting forth the ideas of the
Technological Capabilities Panel's Project 3 on this subject. Edwin
Land wrote:
It is recommended that . .. a permanent task force. including Air
Force supporting elements. he set up under suitable cover to
provide guidance on procurement, to consolidate requirements
· • U-2 Acci<l.:nt R.:port~. folders -1. 10. and 1-1. OSA records. job 67-8--115. box I (S).