Drunk man steals plane, flies into restricted zone near Hungary’s nuclear power plant before crash-landing

A 24-year-old intoxicated man allegedly stole a Cessna 172 from Kalocsa Airport in Hungary and flew it into a restricted zone near the Paks nuclear power plant — the country’s only nuclear facility — before crash-landing in a sunflower field approximately four miles from the plant.

According to NDTV, Hungarian Defence Minister Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi confirmed that military radar detected the aircraft entering the no-fly zone, prompting two Gripen fighter jets to scramble and intercept. The pilot escaped the crash uninjured but was later arrested after attempting to commandeer a passing motorist’s vehicle while in a distressed state.

The Paks plant, which generates approximately half of Hungary’s electricity, was undamaged. Authorities are investigating how the man accessed the aircraft.