Drunk man steals plane, sends fighter jets scrambling near nuclear plant

A 24-year-old man allegedly stole a small plane from an airport in Hungary while intoxicated before prompting a dramatic military response — a "very dangerous" and "rare" occurrence, according to an aviation expert.

The man took a Cessna 172 from Kalocsa Airport on Saturday morning after pulling the ropes that secured the plane from the ground, according to a translated video posted on Facebook by Hungarian police.

The man then took off using a service road and headed toward Paks, home to Hungary's only nuclear power plant, according to a Facebook post from Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi, Ph.D., Hungary's defense minister.

TSA OFFICER SEES ALARMING SHAPES ON X-RAY BEFORE STOLEN CIVIL WAR MYSTERY UNRAVELS Hungarian military radars detected the aircraft , prompting a pair of standby fighter jets to take off, Ruszin-Szendi said.

The Cessna later came down in a sunflower field near Gerjen — where the fighter jets located the damaged aircraft and remained overhead until rescue crews arrived, the post said.

The pilot suffered minor injuries during the landing and made his way through the field to a nearby road, according to the translated video.

A passing driver stopped after the man asked for help — but the 24-year-old then allegedly attempted to take the vehicle , according to a translated press release from Hungarian police.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER The driver prevented him from leaving with the car — and responding officers, within minutes, apprehended the suspect nearby, police said.

Authorities said the man appeared to be intoxicated at the time of the incident.

"According to our current information, the man was drunk, and the police are investigating whether he was under the influence of other drugs," Hungarian police said in the translated release.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Hungarian police for further comment and details.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE LIFESTYLE STORIES Authorities are investigating the circumstances surrounding the plane theft with aviation officials and other experts.

The suspect was taken into custody and faces charges related to the incident, police said.

"For someone operating an aircraft without any experience whatsoever, or limited experience, it could be very dangerous," said Steven Arroyo, an aviation expert and retired airline captain based in Florida (he is not involved in the investigation of the case in Hungary).