What did the declassified documents reveal?

From vault.fbi.gov, this is a declassified Central Intelligence Agency record, an intelligence report from January thirteenth, nineteen-sixty-five, concerning events leading up to the loss of a mission over China. This document was released by the Central Intelligence Agency under the Freedom of Information Act and was declassified on December eleventh, two-thousand-three. This intelligence report, IDEA two-two-nine-nine-dash-sixty-five, details the events leading up to the loss of mission C zero two five C on January tenth, nineteen-sixty-five. Pre-Alert One. On January eighth, nineteen-sixty-five at fourteen hundred hours, an alert briefing was held in the Control Center attended by Colonel Ledford, Lieutenant [redacted], other D-slash-F-A personnel. Two. Weather conditions and target criteria were discussed for the launch of C zero one five C and the pre-alert weather for a possible mission over Pao Tou. The decision was made to alert a [redacted] mission for an [redacted] over Pao Tou for January tenth, nineteen-sixty-five. Three. On December sixteenth, nineteen-sixty-four, a requirement was levied on N-P-I-C to make a check of target areas within fifty miles of the targets of Lan Chou and Pao Tou. This check was made, and N-P-I-C reported no S-A-M sites within this area. This was to satisfy our local requirements for S-A-M A-O-B search for [redacted] [redacted] [redacted]. See Attachment One. Four. On January seventh, nineteen-sixty-five, another [redacted] was planned to [redacted] [redacted] to cover Pao Tou from [redacted]. To further check the S-A-M Order of Battle in China, a request for [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] was made. Five. January ninth, nineteen-sixty-five. At thirteen hundred hours Eastern, alert weather briefing for possible missions on January twelfth-thirteenth, along with mission planning weather briefing for Pao Tou mission on January tenth, was held. Present were [redacted]. [Redacted] Preston was made at this time not to alert a mission for January twelfth due to deteriorating weather in the Koko Nor and Lan Chou areas, and no requirements in the other areas. Weather continued to look favorable for the January tenth, nineteen-sixty-five Pao Tou mission. Go-No-Go weather to be presented at zero one hundred hours Eastern, January tenth. Six. January tenth, nineteen-sixty-five. At zero one hundred hours Eastern, January tenth, Go-No-Go weather for C zero two five C was held, attended by [redacted]. Good, A-O-B discussed, no significant information which would affect a launch. Launch ordered on this basis. Mission Planning and Briefing Messages from [redacted] concerning mission planning and briefing were normal with no problems. Reference telecon between [redacted] and Headquarters January tenth, nineteen-sixty-five. Pre-Flight Minor radio and autopilot problems corrected. Take-off was on time. [Redacted] was not ground checked prior to takeoff but checked after takeoff and received two good [redacted] checks and a…

Why was this case declassified?

This material entered the public record through the U.S. declassification and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) process. The originating source document is linked on this page so the citation chain is auditable.

From Vault.fbi.gov, This Is A Declassified Central Intelligence Agency Record

◆ BLUF — The short version

gov, this is a declassified Central Intelligence Agency record, an intelligence report from January thirteenth, nineteen-sixty-five, concerning events leading up to the loss of a mission over China. This document was released by the Central Intelligence Agency under the Freedom of Information Act and was declassified on December eleventh, two-thousand-three.

Date: AUG 30 · 2026
Release: Declassified · U.S. public record (FOIA)
Source document: View the primary source document

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From vault.fbi.gov, this is a declassified Central Intelligence Agency record, an intelligence report from January thirteenth, nineteen-sixty-five, concerning events leading up to the loss of a mission over China. This document was released by the Central Intelligence Agency under the Freedom of…

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Questions about this case

What was From Vault.fbi.gov, This Is A Declassified Central Intelligence Agency Record about?: gov, this is a declassified Central Intelligence Agency record, an intelligence report from January thirteenth, nineteen-sixty-five, concerning events leading up to the loss of a mission over China. This document was released by the Central Intelligence Agency under the Freedom of Information Act and was declassified on December eleventh, two-thousand-three.
Why was this case declassified?: This material entered the public record through the U.S. declassification and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) process. Storyflo narrates it directly from the public release.

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From Vault.fbi.gov, This Is A Declassified Central Intelligence Agency Record

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