Drunk man steals plane, sends fighter jets scrambling near nuclear plant

A 24-year-old man allegedly stole a small plane from an airport in Hungary while intoxicated before prompting a dramatic military response - a "very dangerous" and "rare" occurrence, according to an aviation expert. 

The man then took off using a service road and headed toward Paks, home to Hungary's only nuclear power plant, according to a Facebook post from Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi, Ph.D., Hungary's defense minister. 

The Cessna later came down in a sunflower field near Gerjen - where the fighter jets located the damaged aircraft and remained overhead until rescue crews arrived, the post said.

The pilot suffered minor injuries during the landing and made his way through the field to a nearby road, according to the translated video.

The driver prevented him from leaving with the car - and responding officers, within minutes, apprehended the suspect nearby, police said.

Authorities said the man appeared to be intoxicated at the time of the incident.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Hungarian police for further comment and details.

Authorities are investigating the circumstances surrounding the plane theft with aviation officials and other experts. The suspect was taken into custody and faces charges related to the incident, police said.

"For someone operating an aircraft without any experience whatsoever, or limited experience, it could be very dangerous," said Steven Arroyo, an aviation expert and retired airline captain based in Florida (he is not involved in the investigation of the case in Hungary). 

There can be a "severe impairment of judgment, especially when you gain altitude because the air is thinner, so the bloodstream is getting reduced oxygen. … The effects of alcohol can be extreme," he added.

Fox News Digital previously reported on another Cessna theft involving a small plane at Van Nuys Airport in Los Angeles in December 2025.

The plane was never airborne and hit the building while taxiing, according to reports. 

The suspect was taken into custody on suspicion of burglary and aircraft theft.

Bonny Chu of Fox News Digital contributed reporting.