A Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) flight from Oslo, Norway, bound for Malaga, Spain, was forced to make an emergency landing in Copenhagen, Denmark, on Wednesday, September 18, due to an unusual incident.
During the in-flight meal service, a passenger found a live mouse on his tray table, causing alarm among the crew and passengers. This discovery prompted the pilot to divert the flight to Copenhagen, where the plane landed safely.
SAS spokesman Oystein Schmidt described the incident as “extremely rare” and said the airline acted quickly to protect the safety of all passengers and crew. The presence of a rodent on the plane posed a significant risk as rodents can cause damage to aircraft electrical systems by chewing through cables, which could have catastrophic consequences during the flight.
Details of the unscheduled landing
The flight took off from Oslo on schedule and was proceeding normally until one of the passengers, Jarle Borresyad, alerted the staff about the surprising discovery in the food of a passenger sitting next to him. According to Borresyad, the woman opened the food tray and, to her surprise, a live mouse jumped out of it. Faced with this incident, the crew decided to take immediate action and divert the flight to the nearest airport, which in this case was Copenhagen.
The decision to land was taken in line with the strict safety protocols that airlines follow in such situations. The presence of a rodent on board not only creates a health inconvenience, but can also endanger the integrity of the aircraft. In particular, electrical cables are vulnerable to being gnawed by these animals, which could affect the operation of the navigation, communication and even control systems of the aircraft.
Upon arrival in Copenhagen, the passengers were re-booked on a new flight that would allow them to continue their journey to Malaga. SAS also assured that all passengers received the necessary assistance and that the airline is investigating the origin of the incident.
Passengers’ reaction
Despite the unusual nature of the incident, passengers on board the flight remained calm. Borresyad, who recounted the incident on social media, said in a Facebook post: “Believe it or not. A lady next to me opened her food and a mouse jumped out. We have now landed in Copenhagen to change flights.” Despite the situation, the man stressed that there were no moments of panic on board, and the passengers remained calm.
In a later interview with the BBC, Borresyad said he was not scared, but took a curious precaution: he put his socks over his trousers to prevent the mouse from climbing up his legs. This comment, which he made in a somewhat humorous tone, generated sympathy among Internet users who followed the news on social networks.
Scandinavian Airlines has said that such incidents are extremely rare and that appropriate measures have already been taken to prevent a similar occurrence. Schmidt, a spokesman for the airline, said: “We have established clear procedures to handle such situations, and we are already working on a thorough review with our food suppliers to ensure that this does not happen again.”
SAS is known for its strict safety and quality standards, so the fact that a mouse ended up in a food tray has caused considerable shock. The company has expressed its concern about the incident and apologised to the affected passengers, assuring that the wellbeing and safety of travellers is always the number one priority.
This incident has brought into focus the importance of food safety on commercial flights. Airlines often work with external suppliers who must comply with very strict sanitary regulations, not only to ensure the quality of the food, but also to prevent any type of contamination or problems that could compromise the safety of the flight.
Safety regulations set by international aviation bodies such as the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) require airlines to implement strict hygiene controls at all stages of food preparation and distribution on board. However, in this case, it appears that some breach in controls allowed the rodent to reach the aircraft cabin.
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