A 24-year-old man allegedly stole a Cessna 172 aircraft while drunk from Kalocsa Airport in Hungary on Saturday morning, prompting the military to scramble fighter jets after radar detected the plane heading towards Paks, home to the country's only nuclear power plant. Aviation experts described such thefts as extremely rare and highly dangerous, particularly given the impairing effects of alcohol at altitude and the pilot's apparent lack of experience.

The stolen plane crashed in a sunflower field near Gerjen, with the fighter jets locating the wreckage and circling overhead until rescue teams arrived. The pilot suffered only minor injuries, then reportedly tried to commandeer a passing motorist's car after flagging them down for help, but was stopped and swiftly arrested by police nearby. Hungarian authorities confirmed the man was intoxicated and are investigating whether he had also taken other drugs, while he now faces charges over the incident.