A heavily intoxicated 24‑year‑old man sparked a major security alert in Hungary on Sunday after stealing a light aircraft from a local airport and flying it into restricted airspace near the country’s only nuclear power plant, before crash‑landing in a sunflower field.

The Cessna 172 was taken without permission from Kalocsa Airport. Military radar detected the aircraft as it entered a no‑fly zone around the Paks nuclear power plant in southern Hungary, prompting the Hungarian Defence Forces to scramble a pair of Gripen fighter jets to intercept it.

According to Hungarian Defence Minister Romulusz Ruszin‑Szendi, the plane was tracked on radar throughout the incursion. After breaching the restricted zone, the pilot crash‑landed in a nearby sunflower field. He was arrested at the scene by Hungarian National Police and reportedly attempted to carjack a passing vehicle before being taken into custody.

The suspect, whose identity has not been released, is believed to have been under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident. No injuries or damage to the nuclear facility were reported. The Paks plant remains Hungary’s sole nuclear power station and supplies a significant portion of the country’s electricity.

Hungarian authorities have launched a full investigation into the breach of airspace and the theft of the aircraft. The incident has raised fresh questions about general aviation security and the vulnerability of critical national infrastructure to unauthorised overflights.