Drunk man steals plane, sends fighter jets scrambling near nuclear plant
Budapest – A 24‑year‑old man was taken into custody Saturday after allegedly stealing a small single‑engine plane from a regional airport in southern Hungary, forcing the military to scramble fighter jets in a brief, tense aerial chase that ended in a sunflower field.
The suspect cut the tie‑down ropes on a Cessna 172 at Kalocsa Airport before dawn and took off from a paved service road, according to a statement from Hungarian police and posts by Defense Minister Romulusz Ruszin‑Szendi on social media. The aircraft headed north toward Paks, the site of Hungary’s only nuclear power plant, prompting military radar controllers to issue an alert.
Two standby fighter jets were launched, located the Cessna, and shadowed it until it made an emergency landing in a field near the village of Gerjen. The plane sustained damage, but the pilot escaped with minor injuries and walked to a nearby road.
A driver who stopped to assist the man was reportedly asked for a ride. Police say the suspect then tried to take the driver’s vehicle; the driver blocked the attempt and called authorities. Officers arrived minutes later and arrested the suspect nearby.
Breath‑alcohol tests indicated the man was intoxicated, and investigators are awaiting results of a broader toxicology screen, police said. “According to our current information, the man was drunk, and the police are investigating whether he was under the influence of other drugs,” the statement read.
Steven Arroyo, a retired airline captain and aviation safety expert, described the episode as “extremely rare” and warned of the heightened danger when an inexperienced pilot flies under the influence. “For someone operating an aircraft without any experience, it could be very dangerous,” Arroyo said. “Stealing an aircraft and going out on joyrides is extremely rare. At altitude, reduced oxygen in the bloodstream amplifies the effects of alcohol, severely impairing judgment.”
The suspect faces multiple charges, including unauthorized operation of an aircraft, endangerment of public safety, and attempted vehicle theft. Authorities are reviewing the aircraft’s maintenance logs and radar data to piece together the flight path.
The incident follows a similar theft at Van Nuys Airport in Los Angeles in December 2025, where a man was arrested after a stolen Cessna struck a hangar while taxiing. Hungarian officials said the case highlights the need for tighter security at small airfields.