The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has ordered Rano Air’s 5N-BZY aircraft grounded after an engine failure triggered a cabin smoke scare, NaijNaira can report.
The aircraft, which experienced the issue during operations, was on the radar after Leadership Nigeria reported that smoke was seen in both the cockpit and the cabin.
Flight crew acted quickly, wearing oxygen masks and engaging emergency systems to control the situation and land the plane safely.
NCAA’s airworthiness directorate has now mandated that the aircraft remain on the ground while a full investigation is carried out.
Technicians were seen working on the plane after landing to trace the root of the engine fault.
Passengers scheduled to fly out of Sokoto were left stranded as the return flight was cancelled for safety reasons.
NCAA said it won’t compromise its safety procedures, even if it means flight disruptions and delays for travelers.
The agency insists that Nigeria’s aviation record remains one of the strongest among developing countries.
“5N-BYZ is still on the ground with engineers working on it. The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, prioritises safety. The records are clear,” the NCAA said.
“More advanced countries have worse air incidents than Nigeria because, here, flights will get cancelled if there is the slightest concern about safety,” it added.
Article updated 20 hours ago. Content is written and modified by multiple authors.
