“On Sept. 17, 1956, pilot Howard Carey took off from Lindsey Air Force Base in Wiesbaden, Germany. His U-2 mysteriously disintegrated in mid-air.”

Heroes — Agency Pilots in the U-2 Program
Central Intelligence Agency

September 17, 2025 — Howard Carey, a former Air Force pilot, was recruited by the CIA to fly U-2 spy missions over the Soviet Union. The circumstances of his death remain a mystery to this day. Follow us on Twitter: @Intel_Today

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Although Carey initially trained with Team B pilots, who would eventually be based at Incirlik, Turkey, he was ultimately assigned to Detachment ‘A’ to fill a position left vacant by a pilot who had been medically disqualified from the program.

Detachment A ceased operations in November 1957, having completed 23 missions over 17 months. These missions included 7 flights over the Soviet Union, 5 over Eastern Europe, and 12 over the Mediterranean region.

In addition to Carey, Detachment A pilots included Carl Overstreet, Gary Powers, and Marty Knudson.

Death

On Monday, September 17, 1956, pilot Howard Carey took off from Lindsey Air Force Base in Wiesbaden, Germany, on a training flight in a U-2 spy plane known as Article 346.

Article 346 had been delivered to Groom Lake on January 13, 1956, initially used for training flights before being deployed with Team A to the UK in late April 1956. It operated out of both Lakenheath, England, and Wiesbaden, West Germany.

Shortly after takeoff, Carey’s U-2 mysteriously lost part of its right wing, disintegrated mid-air, and crashed near Kaiserslautern, West Germany.

Carey was less than three weeks away from his 34th birthday at the time of his death. Eye Witness CIA pilot Carl Overstreet, an original U-2 pilot with Detachment “A,” recalled the tragic incident:

“It was very likely that Carey’s flight on 17 September 1956 was his first flight as a pilot with Detachment A, although I do not have any personal knowledge of this.

My impression was that this was only a training flight, not an operational flight. I was on the ramp at Wiesbaden and personally witnessed the `billow’ of fuel when Carey’s aircraft began to come apart.

My personal impression is that the aircraft was 10 or 15 miles southwest of Wiesbaden and I was unable to see the aircraft itself. Only the cloud of fuel was visible. There did not appear to be an explosion or flame.”

The details surrounding Howard Carey’s crash remain shrouded in mystery, with multiple theories proposed over the years.

In his book Operation Overflight, Francis Gary Powers recounts the official explanation:

“In September, 1956, Howard Carey, a contract pilot I had known at Watertown, was killed in a U-2 crash in Germany. There was some confusion as to what actually happened, initial speculation ranging all the way to sabotage.

It was later determined, however, that while in flight Carey had been buzzed by two curious Canadian Air Force interceptors. Caught in their wake turbulence as they passed him, his U-2 had apparently simply disintegrated.”

Still a complete mystery

What we know for certain is who crashed Article 346, when, and where.

What caused the crash, however, remains a complete mystery, and the CIA is unwilling to declassify the relevant documents. Perhaps the initial theory of sabotage is worth reconsidering.

Why Carey died is also unclear, as it is not certain whether he took off for a training flight or an operational mission.

Memorial Wall and Book of Honor

Howard Carey is commemorated with a star on the CIA Memorial Wall, and his name is inscribed in the Book of Honor. He is buried at Arcadia Cemetery in Hamilton County, Indiana.

References

Powers, Francis Gary. Operation Overflight. SBN: 03-083045-1, May 1970, pp. 49-50.

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CIA Memorial Wall — STAR 6 : Howard Carey (West Germany – September 17, 1956)