Francis Gary Powers was an American pilot known for his role in the Cold War as a U-2 spy plane pilot. On May 1, 1960, he was shot down over the Soviet Union while conducting reconnaissance missions. His capture led to heightened tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union. Powers was tried and convicted of espionage but was later exchanged for Rudolf Abel, a Soviet spy, in a high-profile prisoner swap in 1962. After returning to the U.S., he struggled with public perception and eventually became a helicopter traffic reporter before his death in a 1977 crash.