A drunk pilot scrambled a response from fighter jets after allegedly stealing a plane and entering flying too close to a Hungarian nuclear power plant before crash-landing in a field.

The Cessna 172 aircraft was detected by military radar after entering a no-fly zone close to Hungary’s only nuclear power plant in Paks, the Hungarian defense minister Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi said in a Facebook post.

The nuclear plant has special protection status, with civilian aircraft prohibited from getting within two miles of the site at altitudes below 20,000 feet.

In response, two Gripen fighter aircraft were sent to the area in the south of Hungary, the minister added.

Minutes later, the plane and its “intoxicated” pilot made an emergency landing in a sunflower field around four miles from the plant.

Fighter jets located the aircraft and remained in the area until a rescue helicopter and ground emergency services arrived, Ruszin-Szendi added.

The aircraft was badly damaged in the landing, but the pilot was uninjured.

The pilot, a 24-year-old man, allegedly tried to flee the scene following the crash-landing and was spotted walking along a nearby road “in a distressed state” by a passing driver, Hungarian police said in a statement.

He then allegedly tried to take control of the car and drive away but “was stopped in time,” police added.

Police officers arrived at the scene and arrested the man and took him in for questioning.

Initial examinations suggested he was “intoxicated” at the time of the incident, and additional tests are underway to determine whether he was under the influence of other substances at the time, police said.

The nuclear facility — responsible for generating about 50% of Hungary’s electricity — was undamaged.

Investigators believe the pilot allegedly stole the aircraft from the nearby Kalocsa Airport and took off without permission.

Police are looking into the man’s possible motives and how he managed to take the aircraft.

Further checks will be taking place at other airports across Hungary.