On Wednesday, September 19th, a Scandinavian Airlines flight from Oslo to Malaga suffered an unexpected diversion when a mouse surfaced during the trip, generating anxiety for passengers and staff members. The Airbus A320, which could carry up to 180 passengers, had barely taken off when a mouse rushed out of a passenger’s lunch tray, frightening those nearby.
The incident occurred shortly after departure, when the jet approached the Norwegian coast. Despite the lack of general panic among passengers, the captain acted quickly to ensure everyone’s safety on board. He spoke to the passengers over the public address system, stressing that the mouse posed a potential safety risk. As a result, the flight would need to be redirected.
After briefly circling in two holding patterns, the plane was diverted to Copenhagen, where the passengers landed. This enabled engineers to thoroughly inspect the airplane for the mouse, confirming its safety for future flights.
Rodents on airplanes, while uncommon, can pose serious safety hazards. Mice are known to chew through wires, causing significant damage to an aircraft’s electrical equipment. Even though mouse-related incidents on flights are unusual, SAS followed conventional safety measures by diverting the plane for inspection. The airline stated that the presence of the mouse necessitated an emergency landing to guarantee the aircraft’s safety before continuing its flight.
Fortunately, Scandinavian Airlines provided a replacement aircraft, allowing passengers to resume their journey. The new flight departed from Copenhagen at around 5:20 p.m., and despite the disruption, passengers safely landed in Malaga by 8 p.m., just a few hours behind schedule.
While rodents are less common on commercial aircraft, other pests such as cockroaches do occasionally appear. In July, a viral video showed a giant cockroach running across the cabin of a United Airlines flight, bringing attention to the problem of unwelcome pests in the aviation sector.
Airlines continue to develop tight processes to prevent similar accidents from occurring. Rodents and pests not only endanger passengers, but also make them uncomfortable. The SAS crew’s prompt response ensured that the issue was managed quickly, minimizing thedelay and safeguarding the passengers.
Passengers were relieved to arrive safely at their destination after what could have been a much more disruptive situation
