Drunk Pilot Steals a Plane and Flies Dangerously Close to a Nuclear Plant at 20,000 Feet Before Crashing Into a Sunflower Field
Flying too close to a nuclear power plant is enough to get the military’s attention. But when the aircraft was allegedly stolen and the person flying it was reportedly intoxicated, the situation became much more serious.
Small aircraft can end up at the center of some dangerous situations, including a recent case where a Cessna 172 tore through a woman’s paraglider. This time, another Cessna 172 caused concern after entering restricted airspace near a nuclear power plant in Hungary.
According to the New York Post, a 24-year-old man allegedly took the aircraft from a nearby airport without permission. Fighter jets were sent after the plane, but the incident ended in a sunflower field just miles from Hungary’s only nuclear power plant.
So much for a quiet morning in Hungary
The incident happened on the morning of Aug. 29, when authorities say the man took a Cessna 172 from Kalocsa Airport without authorization. Hungarian military radar detected the aircraft as it flew toward the Paks Nuclear Power Plant, prompting the country’s air force to send two Gripen fighter jets to the area.
The airspace around Paks receives special protection because of the nuclear facility. Civilian aircraft are prohibited from flying within roughly two miles of the plant at altitudes below 20,000 feet. The facility reportedly generates about half of Hungary’s electricity and was not damaged during the incident.
Only minutes after the fighter jets were dispatched, the Cessna made a forced landing in a sunflower field near Gerjen. The Gripens located the damaged plane and remained above the area until a rescue helicopter and emergency crews arrived. Authorities reported no injuries from the landing.
An aircraft making it safely back to the ground after an unexpected danger in its flight path would normally bring the immediate concern to an end. For the man in Hungary, however, landing the Cessna was apparently not the end of the trouble.
Police say the man left the aircraft behind and was later spotted walking along Route 512 in a confused state. A passing driver stopped to help him, but the 24-year-old allegedly got into the vehicle and attempted to drive away before the motorist stopped him.
Officers arrived within minutes and arrested the man. According to Hungarian police, information available to investigators indicated that he was intoxicated, while authorities were still examining whether he had been under the influence of any other substances. Police opened proceedings over the unauthorized taking of a vehicle and other alleged offenses.
Authorities are now investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident, including how the Cessna was taken from Kalocsa Airport. Hungarian police also announced a joint inspection of that airport with aviation authorities, with checks expected to follow at other airports across the country.
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