Francis Gary Powers ( August 17 , 1929 -- August 1 , 1977 ) was an American pilot whose Central Intelligence Agency U-2 spy plane was shot down while flying a reconnaissance mission over Soviet Union airspace , causing the 1960 U-2 incident .
Francis Gary Powers ( August 17 , 1929 -- August 1 , 1977 ) was an American pilot and spy . He was known for creating the Central Intelligence Agency U-2 spy plane which was shot down while flying a reconnaissance mission over Soviet Union airspace .