Stolen Cessna heads toward Hungarian nuclear plant, fighter jets scrambled
A Cessna 172 stolen from a Hungarian airfield flew toward the Paks nuclear power plant, prompting the air force to launch two Gripen fighters before the aircraft made a forced landing in a field.
A light aircraft reported stolen from Kalocsa airfield in Hungary flew toward the Paks nuclear power plant on Sunday, prompting the Hungarian military to scramble two Gripen fighter jets.
Hungary's defence minister said forces detected the aircraft on radar shortly after takeoff and tracked it as it approached the plant. A no-fly zone covers the area around Paks, barring civilian aircraft from flying below 6,000 metres within three kilometres of the facility. The military responded once the aircraft neared that restricted airspace.
It never reached the plant. A short time later it came down in a forced landing near the town of Gerjen. The Gripen jets found the damaged aircraft and stayed overhead until a rescue helicopter and ground crews reached the site. Initial information indicated no one was injured.
The Hungarian outlet HVG identified the aircraft as a Cessna 172. The pilot was reported to be a man born in 2002, said at the time to be in an unstable condition. The landing gear reportedly collapsed on touchdown, leaving the aircraft resting tilted on one wing.
Why the aircraft was taken, and the exact circumstances of the flight, remain under investigation.
Sources
- aerotelegraph.comGestohlene Cessna nimmt Kurs auf Atomkraftwerk – Ungarn schickt zwei Gripen los