The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has grounded a Rano Air aircraft following a mid-air engine failure on a flight from Kano to Sokoto, prompting an emergency landing and raising serious safety concerns.

The aircraft, with registration number 5N-BZY, reportedly suffered a failure on engine 1, forcing the pilot to rely on the second engine to land the aircraft safely at Sokoto Airport. The incident, which occurred over the weekend, was first brought to public attention by aviation commentator @emmaikumeh on X (formerly Twitter).

“Something quite intriguing, or rather disturbing, happened today in Sokoto,” the post read. “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.”

“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,” the post added.

In response, Michael Achimugu, NCAA’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, confirmed the incident via his verified X handle @mikeachimugu01.

He stated:
“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. Pilot safely landed the aircraft without incident.”

Achimugu further confirmed that the NCAA Directorate of Airworthiness had immediately ordered the grounding of the aircraft pending the outcome of a full investigation.

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

Addressing concerns about the aircraft being cleared for another flight shortly after the initial emergency, Achimugu explained that the intended rescue aircraft had already boarded passengers on another route.

“The rescue aircraft that was to then 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-BZY is still on the ground with engineers working on it,” he added.

He emphasized the NCAA’s commitment to passenger safety, stating, “The NCAA prioritises safety. The records are clear. More advanced countries have worse air incidents than Nigeria because, here, flights will get cancelled if there is the slightest concern about safety.”