Norwegian B737-800 Diverts to Copenhagen After Weather Radar Failure

A Norwegian B737-800 operating a service from Oslo to London diverted to Copenhagen after the failure of its weather radar on 22 September.

A Norwegian Air Shuttle Boeing 737-800 en route from Oslo to London diverted to Copenhagen with a technical issue on 22 September 2024.

Norwegian flight DY1308, a Boeing 737-800 outbound from Oslo Gardermoen Airport (OSL), experienced a problem with its weather radar whilst over the North Sea. As a result, flight crew made the decision to divert to Copenhagen.

Norwegian DY1308 Oslo-London

Flight track of Norwegian DY1308 from Oslo to London, showing diversion to Copenhagen.

The aircraft landed without incident on runway 22L Copenhagen Airport (CPH) just over 30 minutes after the diversion was initiated.

The airline mustered a replacement aircraft to complete the onwards scheduled service to London Gatwick Airport (LGW).

Flight Details

Flight data shows that flight DY1308 had made an on-time departure from Oslo at 1802 local time on 22 September.

The flight had set course normally, climbing to the flight level FL370 (37,000 feet) for the south-westerly service to London.

The flight was passing abeam Denmark to the west of Copenhagen when the diversion was initiated from cruising flight.

Ken Fielding/https://www.flickr.com/photos/kenfielding, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The aircraft conducting the DY1308 service from Oslo was a Boeing 737-800, registered LN-NGM. This is an 11.1 year old narrowbody aircraft belonging to the carrier Norwegian Air Shuttle. The carrier operates the aircraft under the name ‘Carl Neilsen’. It has been in operational service with the airline since its initial delivery from the factory in September 2013.

Weather Radar

Aircraft weather radar is a crucial piece of equipment that provides pilots with real-time information about weather conditions ahead. It helps them to identify and avoid potentially hazardous weather systems.

Key benefits of aircraft weather radar:

Early detection of severe weather: Radar can detect thunderstorms, hail, heavy rain, and other adverse weather conditions well in advance. This allows pilots to take evasive action or reroute their flight.
Improved safety: By avoiding dangerous weather, pilots can significantly reduce the risk of accidents and injuries.
Enhanced passenger comfort: Weather radar helps to minimize turbulence and other unpleasant flying conditions. This ensures a safer, comfortable flight experience for passengers.
Operational efficiency: By avoiding weather-related delays and diversions, radar can help airlines maintain on-time performance.