A 24-year-old pilot has been arrested in Hungary after allegedly stealing a light aircraft, entering restricted airspace around a nuclear power plant and crash-landing in a sunflower field.

The incident occurred after the suspect reportedly took off in an allegedly stolen Cessna aircraft from Kalocsa airfield and flew into restricted airspace around the Paks nuclear power plant.

According to local reports, the pilot conducted manoeuvres over the facility before the aircraft was detected by military radar.

Two Gripen fighter jets were subsequently deployed to monitor the aircraft, which later made an emergency landing in a sunflower field in Tolna County, about 84 miles south of Budapest, the Hungarian capital.

The pilot was reportedly under the influence of alcohol when he emerged from the aircraft following the crash.

Hungarian police, known as Rendorseg, said the suspect subsequently attempted to flee the scene by taking control of a passing vehicle.

The incident prompted a swift response from the Hungarian Defence Forces, with Defence Minister Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi describing it as a “strange alert”.

In a statement shared on Facebook, Ruszin-Szendi said: “The Hungarian Defense Forces are ready. In the air. On the ground. 24 hours a day.

“The most important thing, however, is that according to our current information, there was no personal injury.

“Thank you to the defense forces for their quick response and stance.”

Authorities have not reported any injuries from the incident, while investigations into the circumstances surrounding the alleged theft of the aircraft and the pilot’s entry into the restricted airspace are ongoing. (Nigerian Tribune, excluding headline)