NCAA Grounds Rano Air Jet After Mid-Air Engine Failure Sparks Panic

NCAA Grounds Rano Air Jet After Mid-Air Engine Failure Sparks Panic

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has grounded a Rano Air aircraft following an engine malfunction during a flight from Kano to Sokoto.

The affected aircraft, with registration number 5N-BZY, reportedly suffered a failure on its engine 1 mid-flight, prompting emergency safety measures. The development was confirmed by NCAA’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu, via a post on his official X handle, @mikeachimugu01, in response to a report by @emmaikumeh.

The post by @emmaikumeh read:

“Something quite intriguing, or rather disturbing, happened today in Sokoto. One of the engines of a Rano Air aircraft en route from Kano to Sokoto caught fire mid-air. Thankfully, the pilot managed to land the plane safely in Sokoto using the other engine.

“However, shockingly, after just a few ‘touch-ups,’ the management of Rano Air cleared the same aircraft to fly passengers back to Kano. What kind of negligence is this?

“Unfortunately, just a few minutes after takeoff, the aircraft couldn’t hold up any longer and was forced to make a U-turn back to Sokoto Airport.”

Reacting, Achimugu clarified the situation:

“The Rano aircraft 5N-BZY experienced a failure on its engine 1. Smoke was noticed in the cabin and flight deck. Oxygen masks were donned. The appropriate safety protocols were initiated on the ground for landing. Smoke dissipated. The pilot safely landed the aircraft without incident.

“The NCAA Directorate of Airworthiness instructed that the aircraft 5N-BZY remain grounded until the conclusion of investigations.

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“The rescue aircraft that was to airlift passengers out of Sokoto had already boarded Abuja-Katsina passengers. It would have created problems to deboard those passengers. The flight out of Sokoto was, therefore, cancelled.

“5N-BYZ is still on the ground with engineers working on it.”

Achimugu emphasized that NCAA prioritizes passenger safety above all else, stating that flight operations in Nigeria are suspended at the slightest indication of risk—unlike in some more developed countries where worse air incidents have occurred.