On Monday, August 24, 2026, a Saab JAS 39C Gripen multirole combat aircraft operated by the Hungarian Air Force (Magyar Légierő) crashed near the 86th Szolnok Helicopter Base, approximately 100 km southeast of Budapest. The pilot ejected safely.
NOW: A Hungarian Air Force Gripen fighter jet recently crashed near Szolnok, in central Hungary. The pilot ejected and is safe. pic.twitter.com/nsZnayg8sM
— Conflict Radar (@Conflict_Radar) August 24, 2026
Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar wrote on his profile on the social media platform X:
“For reasons not yet known, one of the Hungarian Defence Forces’ Gripen fighter jets crashed near Szolnok a few minutes ago. The pilot successfully ejected. An investigation is underway, and the Minister of Defence is on his way to the scene. Based on the preliminary report, there were no injuries and no damage to civilian infrastructure.”
For reasons not yet known, one of the Hungarian Defence Forces’ Gripen fighter jets crashed near Szolnok a few minutes ago. The pilot successfully ejected. An investigation is underway, and the Minister of Defence is on his way to the scene.
Based on the preliminary report,…
— Magyar Péter (Ne féljetek) (@magyarpeterMP) August 24, 2026
Defence Minister Dr. Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi said in a video posted on Facebook that the pilot survived and was taken to hospital.
“For reasons and under circumstances that remain unclear, one of the Hungarian Defence Forces’ fighter aircraft crashed at the Szolnok military base this morning, a few minutes after 10:00 a.m. The pilot ejected. No one else was injured in the accident. The minister and the Chief of the Defence Staff are on their way to the scene. The circumstances of the accident are being investigated with the involvement of experts.”
Video: dr Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi via Facebook
Until the accident, 18 JAS 39C/D Gripen aircraft were stationed with the Puma Fighter Squadron at Kecskemét Air Base. The four newest aircraft were delivered under an agreement between Saab and the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration FMV (Försvarets materielverk), under the Swedish Ministry of Defence, for the preparation of four JAS 39C Gripen aircraft for Hungary. They were delivered in pairs on April 30 and June 24 this year.
This was an amendment to the main agreement signed in December 2001 for the lease of 14 aircraft, which entered service with the aforementioned Puma Fighter Squadron in 2006. This was also the second aircraft loss in the history of Gripen operations in Hungary. The first aircraft was lost on May 19, 2015, when a two-seat JAS 39D, No. 42, crashed. It was replaced by aircraft No. 44, delivered in July 2016. In addition, on June 10, 2015, another JAS 39C, No. 30, made a belly landing at Kecskemét. The pilot ejected and the aircraft was later repaired.
UPDATE
New details of the incident: the 51-year-old pilot, who has more than 2,000 flight hours, suffered a spinal injury and is expected to undergo surgery on August 25.
The crashed aircraft is reportedly, though not yet confirmed, JAS 39C No. 31. It was carrying weapons and conducting combat training while on QRA duty.
The pilot reported an instrument failure and decided to make an emergency landing. The attempt was unsuccessful, and the aircraft crashed on the runway.
🇭🇺 Crash update:
Pilot: 51-year old with 2000 Fh. Spinal injury, surgery tomorrow.
Aircraft: (Unconfirmed as 39C #31) was armed and in combat training during QRA standby.
Further reported: Loss of instrumentation, emergency landing followed by a runway incident. Ejection.
— Gripen News (@GripenNews) August 24, 2026
