Mouse in airplane meal forces flight to make emergency landing

SCANDANAVIAN AIRBUS A320-232 OY-KAW (MSN 2817)

Scandinavian Airlines has reported that one of its flights made an emergency landing last week after a mouse was discovered in a passenger's in-flight meal. The flight, en route from Oslo, Norway (OSL/ENGM), to Malaga, Spain (AGP/LEMG), was diverted to Copenhagen, Denmark (CPH/EKCH), in accordance with the airline's safety protocols, as the rodent presented a risk, according to SAS spokesperson Oystein Schmidt in a statement to AFP.

Airlines typically enforce strict regulations regarding rodents on board to prevent potential damage, such as chewing through electrical wiring.

"This is something that happens extremely rarely," said SAS spokesperson Oystein Schmidt. "We have established procedures for such situations, which also include a review with our suppliers to ensure this does not happen again."

“Believe it or not. A lady next to me … opened her food box and a mouse jumped out and ran across the food tray,” wrote passenger Jarle Borrestad on Facebook, sharing a photo of himself smiling alongside two women who were also smiling. This marks the second rodent-related travel disruption within a week, following a train service in southern England that was terminated when two squirrels boarded a carriage, and one refused to leave.

Passengers were later transported to Malaga on a different aircraft.

If you were like me and wondered why the airline took the rather drastic measure of diverting the flight as soon as possible. Well, like many other airlines, SAS does have a policy of emergently diverting flights when an unexpected rodent is found. That’s because such rodents can pose significant safety risks to the flight. So, if you do see a mouse on your flight, don’t just say, “Aww, how cute.” Instead, tell the flight crew as soon as possible.

The biggest airplane-specific risk is that rodents can chew through wiring and other airplane parts. And you kind of want an airplane’s wiring to be intact and functioning when the plane is up in the air. Also, the trouble with seeing one mouse is that you don’t know how many other mice may be in the vicinity. A single mice could be the harbinger or sign of an infestation. Therefore, the discovery of one mouse means that the crew will need to check the rest of the plane for any other furry accomplices.