O verdadeiro Gary Powers discutiu isso em uma entrevista . A resposta mais fácil é que ele não estava sob ordens de usar a agulha de curaré (note, não cianureto) para cometer suicídio se fosse capturado. A agulha oculta era uma ferramenta opcional e foi presumida para ser usada no caso de tortura, e não apenas de captura. No momento fatídico, ele fez o que os mais sensatos prisioneiros de guerra fazem e apenas decidiu não se matar.
"Apparently a great many people were under the impression that I had been under orders to kill myself, come what may. But, as I had attempted to make clear in the trial, I had no such orders. I was to use the destruct device - which wouldn't have destroyed the plane, only a portion of the equipment - if possible. Under the circumstances, it had not been possible.
"I could understand why, not having been in the cockpit with me, some people might doubt my story. But when it came to the poison needle, there shouldn't have been any doubt. Since carrying it was optional, suicide was obviously optional too.
"It bothered me that this criticism was apparently long-standing, and that the CIA - although it would have been very easy to do so, without in any way jeopardizing security - had made no attempt to set the record straight by stating exactly what my instructions were. Instead they had let this misapprehension, damning as it was, continue undisputed."
A CIA também divulgou a seguinte declaração nas próximas audiências do Senado
"STATEMENT CONCERNING FRANCIS GARY POWERS."
'The pilots...were instructed .... to be cooperative with their captors within limitations, to use their own judgement of what they should attempt to withhold, and not to subject themselves to strenuous hostile interrogation. It has been established that Mr. Powers had been briefed in accordance with this policy and so understood his guidance.
'In regard to the poison needle....it should be emphasized that this was intended for use primarily if the pilot were subjected to torture or other circumstances which in his discretion warranted the taking of his own life. There were no instructions that he should commit suicide and no expectation that he would do so except in those situations just described, and I emphasize that even taking the needle with him in the plane was not mandary; it was his option.'
Curiosamente, esta declaração de seu comandante Gen. Arch Hamblen parece entrar em conflito com a versão aceita dos eventos :
... Powers carried with him cyanide, in a pen, which he was supposed to take in case he was shot down on the mission. The U-2 was built to fly higher - 65,000 to 70,000 feet - than any Soviet missile could reach. But his plane was hit and he parachuted out of the stricken aircraft. He could not reach the cyanide instrument - anyway, it was destroyed by the impact of the missile. The spy pilot was captured and put in prison.