The man, identified by police as a resident of the village of Szomor, took the Cessna 172 from an airport in Kalocsa, in southern Hungary, before entering the no-fly zone over the plant. Defense Minister Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi said the air force scrambled after receiving reports of the theft, and that the aircraft went down in a field near Gerjen only minutes later.
"Gripen fighter jets located the damaged aircraft and remained over the scene until the arrival of a rescue helicopter and ground emergency services", Ruszin-Szendi wrote on social media. Police released photos and video showing the wreckage in a sunflower field.
The man ran from the crash site and was found wandering along a nearby road, appearing disoriented, police said. A passing driver stopped to help — and the man climbed in and tried to steal the car, before onlookers intervened. Hungarian outlet 24.hu reported that the man later said he had been too drunk to remember the attempted carjacking.
Police took him to a hospital before booking him into custody. Investigators have confirmed he was intoxicated at the time of the theft and are testing whether other substances were involved, as authorities pursue charges over both the plane theft and the attempted car theft.
(jh)
Source: Polish Radio