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© Vanja NordåsAfter landing: A window in the cockpit on the SAS-plane cracked, and there was also smoke spreading inside the cockpit.
SAS-flight forced to turn around after drama in midair. "The captain couldn't speak with us because he was wearing an oxygen mask," passengers report.

A SAS flight on its way from Oslo Gardermoen airport to Stavanger airport had to return this afternoon to Gardermoen due to smoke in the cockpit and a cracked flight window.

Unusually enough, these two things occurred simultaneously. It is too early to say why smoke developed in the cockpit. As a rule, it's about cabling or smoke entering from outside, but this can only amount to speculation, says Kenneth K. Vikse, communication director at SAS, who emphasizes that the passengers never were in danger.

"It appears that even though this was unusual, the danger did not get out of control. The captain followed procedures, turned around and landed the flight without complications, though routine emergency precautions were taken by airport personnel", said Vikse.

Oxygen masks

For the passengers on board it was nevertheless a frightening experience.

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Dramatic destruction: Elliot Nordås flew for the first time today. During the flight the window cracked in the cockpit where the captain was, and smoke also arose. Here safely landed together with mother Vanja Nordås.
"I felt a strange smell, but didn't think about it. Suddenly they say over the speaker that the flight has to turn due to smoke developing. The captain couldn't speak to us because he sat with oxygen mask on, then came this with the window and of course there was also a lot of turbulence at the same time", said Vanja Norås, who was on board the flight together with her six year old son.

"Even if they said it wasn't dangerous I was rather stressed. They would probably say it wasn't dangerous no matter what", passengers told each other, says Norås, who still has a high pulse with the flight safely on the ground.

"This was the first flight for my son, so it's typical that it has to get this way", she said.

When they had landed at Gardermoen around 4 o'clock they were met by firetrucks and ambulances, but the landing itself went calmly, according to Norås. The passengers are re-booked to a later flight to Stavanger this evening.