On Jun 18th 2025, a Norwegian Air Sweden Boeing 737-800 was involved in a dramatic airborne avoidance maneuver while descending toward Stockholm Skavsta, resulting in a serious injury to a cabin crew member.
The aircraft, registered SE-RRF and operating flight D8-5608 from Palma de Mallorca to Stockholm Skavsta with 125 people on board, was descending through approximately FL250 when the crew received a Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) resolution advisory. The system instructed the pilots to climb immediately, and the crew complied with the command as trained.
The abrupt evasive maneuver successfully resolved the traffic conflict, but during the climb a flight attendant sustained serious injuries, including a broken leg. Once clear of the conflicting traffic, the crew resumed their descent and continued to Skavsta, where the aircraft landed safely on runway 26 about 16 minutes later.
Sweden’s accident investigation authority, Statens Haverikommission (SHK), later classified the occurrence as an accident. According to SHK, the TCAS alert was triggered to avoid a potential collision with a group of JAS 39 Gripen fighter jets that had just departed from a nearby base. The sudden maneuver required to comply with the TCAS command directly led to the cabin crew member’s injury.
An investigation has been opened to examine the circumstances surrounding the encounter, including coordination between civil and military air traffic operations and the events leading up to the TCAS resolution advisory. The case highlights both the life-saving importance of TCAS compliance and the risks such sudden maneuvers can pose to crew members inside the cabin.