Hungarian Gripen fighter jets were scrambled after a light aircraft reportedly stolen from an airfield in Kalocsa headed towards Paks, home to Hungary’s nuclear power plant.
Gripens sent after stolen aircraft landing detected by military radar
According to Defence Minister Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi, the Hungarian Defence Forces detected the aircraft on radar shortly after it took off and immediately launched a pair of Gripen fighter jets.
The Paks Nuclear Power Plant is a specially protected facility. Civilian aircraft are prohibited from entering a three-kilometre radius around the site below an altitude of 6,000 metres, making the approaching aircraft a matter requiring an immediate military response.
Aircraft crashes near Gerjen while Gripens stayed overhead
The incident ended only minutes later when the light aircraft made an emergency landing in the Gerjen area, according to the minister. The Gripens located the damaged aircraft and remained above the scene until a rescue helicopter and ground emergency crews arrived.
Police and other relevant authorities also attended, with an on-site inspection and investigation subsequently launched. The minister said that, according to the information available at the time, nobody was injured.
Pilot reportedly stole the Cessna from Kalocsa airfield
Hungarian news outlet HVG reported that the aircraft was a Cessna 172 allegedly taken from Kalocsa Airport by a pilot who was in a disturbed state. According to the report, the man, born in 2002, landed the aircraft in a field near the village of Gerjen. Initial reports differed over whether the aircraft came down in a sunflower or corn field.
The aircraft was reportedly damaged in the landing, with its landing gear broken and the plane coming to rest on its wing, partially tilted to one side. Firefighters and a rescue helicopter were dispatched to the scene. No further details about the person who allegedly took the aircraft have been released.
Living, working or doing business in Hungary?
Make things easier with professional support in English. Explore Daily News Hungary’s Services in English and find the help you need.
Military response shows air-defence readiness
The Defence Minister described the incident as an unusual alert but said it demonstrated the importance of maintaining a constant state of readiness. He highlighted the sequence of detecting, responding to, identifying and assisting in an incident, saying the Hungarian Defence Forces were prepared to respond at any time, both in the air and on the ground.
The circumstances surrounding the aircraft theft and its attempted flight towards Paks remain under investigation.
Read also: Russia tells Hungary’s Péter Magyar to stop ‘hesitating’ over Paks II nuclear project
