“The first fatality directly related to flying the U2 occurred on 15 May 1956, when test pilot Wilburn S. Rose, flying Article 345A, had trouble dropping his pogos.”

THREE FATAL CRASHES IN 1956
History Staff
Central Intelligence Agency (1992)

May 15, 2025 — Wilburn S. Rose was a former Air Force pilot recruited by the CIA to fly U-2 spy missions over the Soviet Union. He died during his first training flight at the Ranch. Follow us on Twitter: @Intel_Today

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Wilburn S. “Billy” Rose was one of the U-2 pilots recruited by the CIA to serve in the Directorate of Plans.

On May 13, 1956, Rose arrived in Burbank where he was briefed about the ground rules at the Ranch.

Although CIA historians refer to him as a test pilot, Rose was actually trained as an operational pilot for the U-2 program, rather than a test pilot.

By the time Rose joined the program, the U-2 had already undergone extensive testing and was deemed ready for operational missions.

Typically, test pilots perform the initial, high-risk flights that assess an aircraft’s design, performance, and safety limits.

In contrast, operational pilots like Rose are trained specifically for mission execution after the aircraft is cleared for deployment.

The purpose of the operational training at The Ranch (Area 51) was to prepare pilots for high-altitude flying, navigation, and mission-specific procedures required for effective reconnaissance operations.

Death

On May 15, 1956, Rose had just taken off with Article 345 for his first training flight.

The plane had been delivered to test site a few months earlier on December 16, 1955.

Soon after take off, he noticed that both outriggers had failed to separate. He made a low-level pass over the airstrip and managed to jettison the left-hand pogo.

However, when he attempted another maneuver to release the right pogo, the U-2 stalled.

The aircraft then plunged to the ground, disintegrating over a wide area and resulting in Rose’s immediate death.

Aftermath

To prevent a re-occurrence of the problem, the pilot actuation system was removed so that the pogos would fall away automatically as soon as the wings started to lift, while the airplane was still on the runway.

A spring was installed on the upper end of the pogo to push it away from the wing as soon as the weight of the aircraft was lifted.

Memorial Wall and Book of Honor

Rose is commemorated with a star on the CIA Memorial Wall. His name was written in the Book of Honor.

CIA Pilots and Their Sacrifices

Like Wilburn S. Rose, Frank G. Grace (STAR 5 — August 31, 1956) and Howard Carey (STAR 6 — September 17, 1956) also perished during training flights on the U-2 aircraft during 1956. A fourth CIA pilot, Eugene “Buster” Edens (STAR 15 — April 1965), died when his plane crashed in 1965.

REFERENCES

Merlin, Peter W. Unlimited Horizons: “Design and Development of the U-2.” NASA Aeronautics Book Series.

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CIA Memorial Wall — STAR 3 : Wilburn S. Rose (Groom Lake, Nevada – May 15, 1956)