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🇮🇱 Israel /Crime & Justice

Drunk pilot arrested in Hungary after stealing plane and flying toward nuclear plant

From Jerusalem Post · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Official statement Under investigation
  • An intoxicated man allegedly stole a Cessna 172 from Kalocsa Airport and flew toward Hungary’s Paks nuclear power plant before crash-landing in a sunflower field.
  • Hungarian Gripen fighter jets tracked the damaged aircraft, while the pilot suffered minor injuries and later tried unsuccessfully to steal a passing driver’s vehicle.
  • Police and aviation authorities opened a joint investigation, while the defense minister called the episode a “strange alert.”

A stolen light aircraft flew toward a Hungarian nuclear power plant before crashing into a sunflower field, prompting the military to scramble two Gripen fighter jets and police to arrest an intoxicated pilot.

Strange alert.

— Romulusz Ruszin-SzendiHungary’s defense minister used the phrase to describe the incident in a Facebook post.

Hungarian National Police said the man took a Cessna 172 from Kalocsa Airport after removing its tie-down ropes and launching from a service road. Hungarian Defense Forces detected the aircraft on radar and sent the fighters to intercept it.

The pilot attempted an emergency landing in Gerjen. He sustained minor injuries and damaged the aircraft. After the crash, he walked to a nearby road and flagged down a passing driver, then unsuccessfully tried to take the driver’s vehicle before police arrested him.

Quick response

— Romulusz Ruszin-SzendiThe defense minister praised the Hungarian Defense Forces after they tracked the aircraft.

Defense Minister Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi described the episode in a Facebook post as a “strange alert.” He praised the military’s “quick response” and “steadfastness,” saying no responding personnel were injured. The Gripens stayed above the damaged plane until rescue teams arrived, while police and other authorities began an inspection and investigation.

Steadfastness

— Romulusz Ruszin-SzendiThe defense minister thanked personnel involved in responding to the stolen aircraft.

The aircraft had flown toward Paks, where a nuclear power plant produces about half of Hungary’s electricity, according to the plant’s website. Police and the Hungarian Civil Aviation Authority launched a joint investigation at Kalocsa Airport, with similar inspections expected at other airports.

Did not lead to radioactive emissions and had no impact on the plant’s safety.

— Paks nuclear power plant websiteThe website described the plant’s 2003 accident involving fuel-assembly cleaning.
About this summary

Originally published by Jerusalem Post in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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