NCAA Grounds Rano Air Over Mid-Air Engine Fault

The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has grounded a Rano Air aircraft with registration NCAA 5N-BZY following a serious in-flight engine malfunction that occurred during a scheduled flight from Kano to Sokoto.

According to a statement released on Monday by the NCAA’s Directorate of Airworthiness, led by Victor Foyea, the aircraft experienced a failure in Engine 1, which led to smoke infiltrating both the cabin and the flight deck—causing panic among the passengers and crew. The crew promptly notified Air Traffic Control (ATC) of the situation and immediately executed an air return to Kano.

Upon detecting the smoke, the aircraft’s emergency oxygen masks were deployed, and standard safety protocols were activated both onboard and on the ground.

The aircraft landed safely, and fortunately, no injuries or immediate damage were reported. Once the plane was securely on the ground, the smoke quickly dissipated, easing the tense atmosphere onboard.

In response to the incident, the NCAA ordered that the affected aircraft remain grounded indefinitely, pending a full investigation into the root cause of the engine failure. Engineers have been assigned to assess and work on the aircraft, which remains parked on the ground at the time of this report.

Additionally, the return flight scheduled to airlift passengers from Sokoto to Kano was immediately cancelled, reflecting the regulatory body’s commitment to ensuring that no further risks are taken until the technical issues are fully resolved.

The NCAA reaffirmed its commitment to prioritising safety above all, stating that no compromise will be made when passenger lives are at stake. “The safety of passengers and crew remains our utmost concern,” the statement emphasized.

Part of the statement read: “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 also made an important observation regarding Nigeria’s aviation safety culture, noting: “Even in more developed countries, incidents of this nature are not uncommon. Q, in Nigeria, we adopt a zero-tolerance approach—flights are grounded or cancelled at the slightest sign of technical concern.”

This incident serves as a reminder of the critical importance of routine maintenance, swift emergency response, and regulatory vigilance in the aviation industry. The NCAA has assured the public that a thorough investigation will be carried out and necessary actions will follow based on its findings.