Reminds me of an old OLD Steve Canyon TV show “Operation Intercept” Episode aired Mar 31, 1959” where he has to shoot down an American Plane headed for the USSR.
If this is the one I recall from decades ago, some target shooters accidentally shot holes in the aircraft causing those aboard to die in flight.
Forgot that show but I was probably watching it first run.
These were tv shows in 1959. Men Into Space and One Step Beyond (and the Twilight Zone) plus the Untouchables. Mr. Lucky, Dobie Gillis, Rawhide. No wonder I didn’t go outside much.
https://www.imdb.com/search/title/?year=1959,1959&title_type=tv_series&sort=moviemeter,asc