By Jemimah Wellington, JKNewsMedia Correspondent
SMOKE FILLED the cabin of a Rano Air flight on Sunday, forcing pilots to initiate emergency procedures and return to base mid-air.
The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has now grounded the aircraft pending a full investigation into the incident.
The affected flight, operated by aircraft 5N-BZY, was en route from Kano to Sokoto when the pilot detected a failure on engine one.
Smoke was reportedly seen in both the cabin and flight deck, prompting the crew to deploy oxygen masks and follow emergency landing protocols.
The aircraft landed safely without incident, NCAA spokesperson Michael Achimugu confirmed.
According to the regulator, the Directorate of Airworthiness has ordered that the aircraft remain grounded while engineers assess the fault.
“Smoke dissipated during flight after all appropriate safety protocols were initiated,” Achimugu said, adding that the pilot acted professionally to ensure a safe landing.
Following the scare, the scheduled outbound flight from Sokoto was cancelled.
NCAA explained that the rescue aircraft meant for Sokoto had already boarded passengers for another Abuja-Katsina route, making it logistically unfeasible to reroute without disrupting multiple schedules.
As at Monday, engineers were still working on 5N-BZY. Achimugu reiterated that safety remains NCAA’s top priority. “More advanced countries experience worse air incidents.
“Here in Nigeria, any flight with a slightest safety concern gets cancelled. Our safety records are clear,” he said.
The incident triggered a wave of concern on social media. One passenger, Emeka Umeh, shared that the same aircraft, after only minor servicing, was initially cleared to fly passengers back to Kano.
He claimed it was forced to make a U-turn back to Sokoto shortly after takeoff, following further concerns.
The aviation authority has neither confirmed nor denied the claims of a second U-turn but maintained that the flight on Sunday made an air return following the engine issue.
The regulator said it is investigating all reports surrounding the flight to ensure full compliance with safety standards.
