The child's parents failed to notice that their eldest had slipped away from them. Nor did airport security spot the pre-schooler before the youngster (whose sex wasn't revealed) was screened by equipment used to check special luggage.
After having mounted the conveyor belt, the child disappeared down the chute to the cargo area and through the X-ray machine.
"It's unfortunate that a child could get into the system like this," Thor Hagen, head of operations for SAS Ground Services, told daily newspaper VG.
Operators of the X-ray machine quickly discovered that something was amiss, not least when they heard unusual noises from the equipment. The child was returned to the parents within minutes.
According to the importers of the X-ray machine, its radiation should not have posed a health hazard to the child. Airport officials told Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK) that a report was being prepared on the incident, and that safety routines would be re-examined.
