“The U-2 and A-12 were extraordinary achievements in science, technology, and innovation. But our admiration for these planes goes well beyond what they achieved operationally. It’s the people behind the planes. The people like Wilburn, Frank, Howard, Buster, and Walter who sacrificed their lives in service to their country, and whose impact is still felt today.”

Former CIA Director General Michael Hayden
Dedication Ceremony for the A-12 OXCART
CIA Headquarters
September 2007

August 31, 2026 — Frank G. Grace was a former Air Force pilot recruited by the CIA to fly U-2 spy missions over the Soviet Union. He died on August 31, 1956, during a nighttime training exercise. Follow us on Twitter: @INTEL_TODAY

RELATED POST : 70 Years Ago — CIA Memorial Wall STAR 3 : Wilburn S. Rose (Groom Lake, Nevada – May 15, 1956)

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

RELATED POST : 60 Years Ago — CIA Memorial Wall — STAR 15 : Eugene `Buster’ Edens (Edwards Air Force Base, California – April 26, 1965)

RELATED POST : CIA memorial Wall — STAR 21 : Walter R. Ray (Hanksville, Utah – January 5, 1967)

Just three months after Wilburn S. Rose [STAR 3 – May 15, 1956], Grace died during a nighttime training exercise. He was flying a U-2 (article 354) when he attempted to climb too steeply during takeoff, causing the aircraft to stall at an altitude of just 20 meters.

The aircraft fell to earth, cartwheeled on its left wing, and struck a power pole near the runway. The crash resulted in his death.

He was 30 years old. Grace is buried at Forest Park Cemetery, Houston, Harris County, Texas.

The year 1956 was a very bad year for the U2. Howard Carey [STAR 6] died on September 17, 1956. Before the year ended, another U-2 crashed on December 1, 1956.

REFERENCES

Central Intelligence Agency. Heroes – Agency Pilots in the U-2 Program.

Central Intelligence Agency. The CIA and the U-2 Program, 1954–1974.

Pedlow, Gregory W., and Donald E. Welzenbach. The Central Intelligence Agency and Overhead Reconnaissance: The U-2 and Oxcart Programs. Chapter 2: Developing the U-2, p. 80. Central Intelligence Agency, 1992.

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70 Years Ago — CIA Memorial Wall — STAR 5: Frank G. Grace (Groom Lake, Nevada – August 31, 1956)

“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