Sergei Safronov (fighter pilot)

Sergei Ivanovich Safronov (Серге́й Ива́нович Сафро́нов, died 1960) was a senior lieutenant in the Soviet Union air force.

During the 1960 U-2 incident his aircraft took a direct hit from the friendly fire shots from Major Voronov's aircraft. The shots, intended for the aircraft flown by Powers, destroyed Safronov's aircraft. They were fired because Soviet authorities saw pieces of Powers' aircraft on radar and believed that he was still flying the plane. He was able to eject from the aircraft but he died and was not alive when his body was on the ground.

The decree published by newspapers in the Soviet Union presented S. N. Safronov the Order of the Red Banner along with Voronov and Sheludko. The decree did not mention that Sergei Safronov died and several subsequent publications did not state that he died.