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A 24-year-old man allegedly stole a small aircraft in Hungary and flew it into a restricted zone near the country’s only nuclear power plant before crash-landing in a sunflower field. The man was intoxicated at the time of the incident.
The Cessna 172 was detected by military radar after it entered a no-fly zone near the Paks nuclear power plant in southern Hungary, according to Hungarian Defence Minister Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi. Civilian aircraft are not allowed to fly within about two miles of the facility at altitudes below 20,000 feet.
As soon as the military received the information, it scrambled two Gripen fighter jets to intercept the aircraft. The jets located the Cessna and stayed in the area as emergency teams were sent to the crash site.
Minutes later, the aircraft made an emergency landing in a sunflower field around four miles from the nuclear plant. The plane was badly damaged, but the pilot escaped without injuries.
Police said the man allegedly walked away from the site and was later spotted on a nearby road by a passing driver. He was reportedly in a distressed state and then tried to take control of the driver’s car and drive away. Police said he was stopped before he could leave.
Officers arrested the man and took him in for questioning. Initial tests indicated that he was intoxicated. More tests are being done to check if he had taken any other drugs or substances.
Investigators believe the man took the aircraft from the nearby Kalocsa Airport without permission. Police are now examining why he took the plane and how he was able to access it. Authorities also plan to conduct checks at other airports across Hungary.
The Paks nuclear facility was not damaged in the incident. The plant is a key part of Hungary’s power system and generates about half of the country’s electricity.