The U-2 Spy Plane That Got Lost in an Aurora and Almost Started WW3

At the peak of the Cuban Missile Crisis, U-2 pilot Charles W. Maultsby was flying near the North Pole when he was blinded by the Northern Lights. He had been on the mission as part of Project Star Dust to collect air samples and monitor Soviet nuclear test activity at Novaya Zemlya, an island off of Siberia. The lights, however, obscured his view of the night sky and prevented navigation by the stars. Maultsby’s radio connection continued to fade until he reportedly picked up the sounds of Russian music from a local radio station. He had mistakenly flown into Soviet territory. Quickly turning back home, the U-2 found itself being pursued by Soviet MiG fighters - and the only reinforcements available on the American side were rushing to the scene armed with nuclear-tipped missiles...