The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has grounded a Rano Air aircraft after it experienced engine failure mid-air and a fire scare.
The aviation regulator pointed out that appropriate safety protocols were initiated on the ground for landing, with the pilot safely landing the aircraft without incident.
This disclosure is contained in a post by NCAA’s Director, Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu, on his official X (formerly Twitter) account on Monday, June 30, 2025.
Achimugu said the rescued aircraft that was to airlift passengers out of Sokoto had already boarded Abuja-Katsina passengers.
He said it would have created problems to deboard those passengers, and so the flight out of Sokoto was, therefore, cancelled.
Aircraft to remain grounded
Achimugu said the NCAA Directorate of Airworthiness instructed that the aircraft 5N-BZY remain grounded until the conclusion of investigations.
The post reads, ‘’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.
‘’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.
‘’The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, 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.’’
What you should know
In a related development, the NCAA had, in January this year, suspended Max Air’s domestic flight operations for three months following a Boeing 737 incident at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA) on January 28, 2025.
The aircraft, registered 5N-MBD, had experienced a nose wheel landing gear collapse and rear tire burst during landing on Runway 06/24.
NCAA, in its statement, disclosed that the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has already initiated an investigation into the cause of the incident. The NCAA emphasized that the specific cause(s) will only be determined once the NSIB completes its investigation.
Max Air was later cleared by the NCAA to resume domestic flights from midnight on March 17, 2025, after completing a comprehensive economic and safety audit.
The NCAA also stated that it would continue to monitor Max Air closely through an enhanced surveillance program to ensure strict compliance with safety regulations. The agency reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining the highest safety standards in the aviation sector.
