Mouse in meal forces emergency landing on flight

Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) flight from Oslo to Málaga forced to make unscheduled landing in Copenhagen

A Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) flight from Oslo to Málaga was forced to make an unscheduled landing after a mouse crawled out of a passenger’s meal, the airline confirmed on September 20.

The bizarre incident, which occurred on September 18, resulted in the flight being diverted to Copenhagen for safety reasons.

The unexpected discovery was shared by passenger Jarle Borrestad on Facebook.

“Believe it or not. A lady next to me... opened her food and a mouse jumped out,” Borrestad wrote, accompanied by a photo of himself smiling alongside two women who were also on the flight.

https://www.facebook.com/jarle.boerrestad/photos/vamos-a-malagatro-det-eller-ei-ei-dame-ved-siden-av-meg-her-p%C3%A5-sas-pluss-%C3%A5pna-ma/10161453201715661/

Airlines are particularly cautious about rodents on board, as they can pose a significant risk by potentially chewing through electrical wiring, which is crucial for the operation of an aircraft.

SAS spokesperson Øystein Schmidt said the incident was handled in accordance with the airline’s procedures.

"There was a change of aircraft, and the passengers were flown to Málaga on a different plane," Schmidt explained, adding that such events are extremely rare.

Schmidt also noted that the airline will conduct a review with its meal suppliers to ensure this kind of incident does not happen again.

The safety and comfort of passengers remain a top priority, he emphasized.

While the mouse posed no immediate threat to the passengers, the airline’s swift decision to divert the plane was seen as a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of everyone on board.

The flight continued to its final destination without further issues after the switch to another aircraft.

This is not the first time a rodent has disrupted a flight. In 2017, a British Airways flight from Heathrow to San Francisco was delayed for four hours after a mouse was spotted on board, costing the airline approximately £250,000.

Similar incidents have forced airlines to ground flights due to the potential hazards rodents can cause, particularly in regard to the aircraft’s wiring systems.

SAS, like many airlines, has strict protocols in place to handle unforeseen situations.

The presence of rodents is taken seriously because of the damage they can cause to essential systems.

Despite the unusual nature of this incident, the airline’s prompt response ensured the passengers reached their destination with minimal delay.

Unscheduled landings, though rare, can occur for various reasons unrelated to technical malfunctions.\

In 2023, a United Airlines flight from Houston to Amsterdam was diverted after a business class passenger became unruly when his first meal choice was unavailable.

Similarly, in 2017, a Qatar Airways flight was forced to land after a woman discovered her husband’s infidelity mid-flight.

As for the SAS flight, it serves as a reminder that sometimes the unexpected can happen—even at 30,000 feet.

The airline has assured passengers that they will continue to investigate the incident and take measures to prevent a recurrence.