The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has grounded a Rano Air plane, registration number 5N-BZY, following a mid-air engine failure and fire scare incident on Sunday, June 29, 2025.
The Kano-Sokoto bound flight made an emergency return after smoke was noticed in the cabin and flight deck, causing panic among passengers.
The plane experienced a failure in one of its engines, prompting the pilots to don oxygen masks and initiate emergency landing procedures.
Despite the scare, the pilot safely landed the aircraft without incident after the smoke dissipated.
NCAA spokesman, Michael Achimugu, said the pilots of the plane marked 5N-BZY reported the incident to air traffic controllers and necessary steps were activated for emergency landing.
Achimugu said, “The Rano aircraft 5N-BZY experienced a failure in its engine.
“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.
“The NCAA Directorate of Airworthiness instructed that the aircraft 5N-BZY remain grounded until the conclusion of investigations.”
The NCAA emphasised its commitment to safety, stating that flights were cancelled at the slightest sign of safety concerns, contributing to Nigeria’s solid aviation safety record compared to more advanced countries.
It assured Nigerians that a full investigation would be made public upon completion to maintain transparency and accountability in the aviation sector.
The flight from Sokoto was cancelled due to logistical issues, as the rescue aircraft had already boarded passengers for an Abuja-Katsina flight, making it impractical to deboard them.
The aircraft is currently on the ground with engineers working to determine the cause of the engine issue and smoke.
