Radar systems of the Hungarian Armed Forces swiftly detected the aircraft, which a man under the influence of alcohol had stolen from a parking area.
Gripen Fighter Jet / © Facebook of Hungarian Minister of Defence Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi
In Hungary, a man pilfered a light aircraft and headed towards the city of Paks, where the nuclear power plant is situated. Hungarian JAS 39 Gripen fighter jets intercepted the aircraft, after which the pilot performed an emergency landing.
This was announced by the Hungarian Minister of Defence, Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi, on his Facebook page.
According to the minister, the incident occurred on the morning of August 29. The man unlawfully took possession of a light aircraft that was parked in the city of Kalocsa, after which he took off and set a course for Paks.
Radar installations of the Hungarian Armed Forces quickly identified the aircraft, leading to the dispatch of an airborne fighter jet pair for interception.
Within minutes, the light aircraft executed an emergency landing near the village of Gerjen.
Gripen fighter jets located the damaged aircraft and remained in the vicinity until a rescue helicopter and ground services arrived on the scene.
Police and relevant authorities also commenced an examination of the incident site and initiated an investigation into the circumstances of the event.
Further details are provided by the Hungarian publication hvg.hu. According to their report, a Cessna-172 aircraft was stolen from the airfield in Kalocsa.
The pilot, as the publication speculates, was in a disoriented state, likely due to alcohol intoxication. After absconding with the aircraft, he began executing risky maneuvers specifically in the vicinity of the Paks Nuclear Power Plant.
As noted by hvg.hu, the Gripen fighter jets were scrambled not only due to the aircraft theft but also because of the violation of the restricted airspace above Paks. Flights are prohibited within a three-kilometer radius of the Paks Nuclear Power Plant up to an altitude of 6000 meters.
During its forced landing, the Cessna-172 touched down in a sunflower field. The aircraft’s landing gear broke, after which it remained on the ground, tilting somewhat onto its wing.
The Hungarian Minister of Defence emphasized that this incident demonstrated the readiness of the Hungarian military to respond promptly to potential threats within the country’s airspace.
According to preliminary information, no one was injured as a result of the event.
As a reminder, prior to a football match in Cape Town, two passenger planes flew very low over the stadium, filled with tens of thousands of spectators.
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