Hungary: Man Steals Plane, Heads Toward Nuclear Plant, then the Story Gets Even Wilder

An especially unusual incident unfolded yesterday (Shabbat) in southern Hungary, when a 24-year-old man stole a light aircraft from a private airport, took off without authorization, and flew toward the nuclear power plant in Paks. The unauthorized flight was quickly detected by the Hungarian military’s radar systems, prompting the launch of two fighter jets.

The incident began in the early morning hours at the airport in the city of Kalocsa. According to the local newspaper BAON, the suspect entered the airport grounds and got into a Cessna 172 parked there. The aircraft was secured to the ground with tie-down cables, but the young man did not release them before starting to move, and the cables were ripped from the ground during takeoff.

The way he took off was also unusual: rather than using the runway, the suspect took off from a service road running through the airport grounds. Shortly afterward, military radar systems detected the aircraft in the air.

Hungary’s defense minister, Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi, said that two Gripen fighter jets were dispatched after the plane was identified. The light aircraft continued toward the nuclear power plant in Paks, but within minutes made an emergency landing in a sunflower field.

During the landing, the Cessna’s landing gear broke, and the plane came to a stop tilted on its side and resting on one wing. The fighter jets continued circling above the area until a rescue helicopter and emergency crews arrived. According to local police, the young man suffered minor injuries.

But the incident did not end with the landing. The suspect abandoned the aircraft, crossed the field, and reached a nearby road, where he was seen walking around in a confused state. A passing driver noticed him and stopped to offer help, but the young man got into the vehicle and tried to steal that as well. The passenger sitting beside the driver managed to stop him; police were called to the scene and arrested him within minutes. Police said the suspect was drunk and “in a confused state,” and they are also investigating the possibility that he was under the influence of drugs.

Investigators are now trying to determine how the young man obtained the key used to start the plane, as well as where he acquired the knowledge that enabled him to take off in a Cessna. An investigation has been opened against him on suspicion of unlawfully taking a vehicle and other offenses, and he was placed in custody after questioning.

Following the incident, Hungary’s police and aviation authority launched a joint inspection at the Kalocsa airport to examine its security procedures and the circumstances that allowed the aircraft to be stolen. Authorities intend to expand the review to additional airports across the country.