15 March 1960 - Captain Roger Cooper landed his U-2 on frozen Wapawekka lake in
Saskatchewan after suffering an electrical failure. He was flying U2 tail #
66717 at the time on an Operation Crowflight. The U-2 was still a Top
Secret aircraft at the time of this incident - although the subsequent
shooting down of Francis Gary Powers in his U-2 over Russia on 1 May 1960
made the U-2 a "household word" around the world.
Additional notes
Photo notes : Photos courtesy Ken murphy
RCAF Station Cranberry
Portage arranged for snow clearing on the lake by a Lac La Ronge
contractor. A C-119 landed on the ice with a new engine and the U-2 was
flown off the lake . Personnel from Cranberry Portage were used as guards
at the site.
Operation Crowflights were discontinued in February 1965
and U-2 # 66717 was flying with the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
at the end of 1965 when it crashed.
- Joe Callaghan and the U-2. Note the protective tarp has been
pulled back to allow viewing..
- Ken Murphy guarding the downed U-2 aircraft. Crowflight logo
visible over the tail # 66717.
- U2 in flight
- Location Map showing Wapawekka Lake and environs
- Ken Murphy standing by the U-2
- Joe Callaghan sitting on the wing of the U-2
- Ken Murphy sitting on the snow machine that was left by the RCMP