NCAA Grounds Rano Air Aircraft After Engine Failure

The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has ordered the immediate grounding of Rano Air aircraft 5N-BZY following an engine failure incident on a Kano-Sokoto bound flight Sunday June 29, 2025. This directive is part of the NCAA’s strict enforcement of aviation safety protocol compliance across all carriers operating in Nigerian airspace.

The affected aircraft, a Rano Air flight, experienced a malfunction on engine 1 during operations. Smoke was observed in the cabin and cockpit. In response, the flight crew immediately donned oxygen masks and activated all appropriate emergency procedures to prepare for safe landing. The pilot reported the incident to Air Traffic Control at 1505.

Fortunately, the smoke dissipated before landing, and the aircraft was safely landed without further incident by the flight’s captain. The aircraft landed at 1543hrs local time,

However, the NCAA’s Directorate of Airworthiness instructed that aircraft 5N-BZY must remain grounded pending full safety investigations. Engineers are currently examining the aircraft on the ground to determine the root cause of the engine issue and smoke.

The incident caused disruptions in passenger movement, particularly affecting travelers scheduled to depart from Sokoto to another destination.

A rescue aircraft had already boarded Abuja–Katsina passengers, making it logistically impossible to reroute to Sokoto without serious delay.

Therefore, the Sokoto leg of the operation was cancelled to avoid displacing already-boarded passengers and disrupting flight safety schedules.

Meanwhile, NCAA reiterated that it will not compromise on aviation safety protocol compliance, even when disruptions inconvenience flight operations.

The Authority stated that Nigerian aviation’s safety record remains solid, despite the challenges of operating in a developing environment.

According to NCAA, countries with more advanced aviation infrastructure still report more severe incidents than Nigeria experiences.

This, the Authority emphasized, is because in Nigeria, flights are cancelled at the slightest indication of a safety-related concern.

It added that its current actions align with global best practices and international regulatory benchmarks in civil aviation oversight.

The NCAA has promised to release further updates on the incident once investigations into aircraft 5N-BZY are concluded.

Passengers affected by the cancellation are expected to be accommodated in line with Rano Air’s obligations under consumer protection laws.