On Feb 14th 2026, a SAS Scandinavian Airlines Airbus A320-200N, registration SE-RUO, diverted to Trondheim after a reported smoke event while cruising over central Norway.
Flight SK-4416 was enroute from Oslo to Tromsø with 186 people on board and cruising at FL350 when the crew reported smoke in the cockpit approximately 40 nautical miles east of Trondheim. As a precaution, the pilots left cruise altitude and initiated a diversion to Trondheim.
The aircraft landed safely on runway 09 about 35 minutes after descending from FL350. Emergency services were on standby.
Local authorities later clarified that the source of the smoke was a passenger’s power bank that had experienced a thermal runaway event and began emitting smoke in the cabin. The crew opted to divert so that airport fire services could assess and manage the device after its temperature failed to decrease. Authorities stated there had been no smoke in the cockpit itself.
Lithium-ion battery incidents, while relatively rare, are treated with utmost seriousness in aviation due to the potential for rapid heat escalation and fire. Cabin crews are trained to identify and contain such events using onboard firefighting equipment and thermal containment procedures.
The aircraft remained on the ground in Trondheim for approximately 26 hours before returning to service.
The incident highlights the continued operational risks posed by personal electronic devices powered by lithium-ion batteries—and the swift precautionary decisions crews make to ensure passenger safety.
