A Rano aircraft with registration number 5N-BZY, which experienced an engine failure on its number 1 engine, has been grounded by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA.

The NCAA stated that smoke was detected in the affected aircraft’s cabin and flight deck, prompting the activation of appropriate emergency procedures.

The Directorate of Airworthiness at the NCAA also stated that, due to the smoke noticed in the cabin and flight deck, oxygen masks were donned and safety protocols were initiated on the ground for landing.

The directorate further instructed that the aircraft be grounded until the conclusion of investigations.

Engineers are currently examining the aircraft on the ground to determine the root cause of the engine issue and the source of the smoke.

A statement by the agency, which stressed that safety would not be compromised, said: “The rescue aircraft that was to then airlift passengers out of Sokoto had already boarded Abuja-Katsina passengers. It would have created problems for deboarding those passengers.

“The flight out of Sokoto was, therefore, cancelled. 5N-BYZ is still on the ground with engineers working on it. The 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.”