There was panic on Saturday, June 29, when a commercial aircraft operated by Rano Air made an emergency landing at the Sultan Abubakar III International Airport, Sokoto, following an engine fire mid-air.
Naijaonpoint report that the incident, which occurred around 2:35 p.m., was confirmed by police authorities on Tuesday (today).
The aircraft was reportedly on its final approach to the airport when one of its engines reportedly caught fire.
Sensing the danger, the pilot promptly alerted the airport control tower.
The development triggered the swift deployment of aerodrome emergency response teams, including firefighters, who managed to extinguish the fire before it escalated.
Confirming the incident, the police authority said, “All passengers and crew members disembarked safely, and no injury or casualty was recorded.”
The affected aircraft was subsequently secured and inspected, while routine safety protocols were put in place to maintain uninterrupted operations at the airport.
While normalcy has since returned to the airport, relevant aviation authorities are expected to launch a thorough investigation to determine the cause of the engine fire and prevent future occurrences.
Naijaonpoint reported earlier that the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) grounded a Rano Air aircraft with registration number 5N-BZY following a mid-flight engine malfunction during a trip from Abuja to Katsina.
According to Daily Trust, sources within the aviation sector disclosed that the aircraft experienced a malfunction in its engine 1 while airborne, prompting the flight crew to swiftly deploy emergency procedures.
The incident led to a disruption in Rano Air’s operations.
Travellers scheduled to fly from Sokoto to other destinations were left stranded as the Sokoto leg of the trip was cancelled.
“The oxygen masks were automatically activated, and the pilots followed all emergency protocols. Thankfully, the smoke cleared before landing, and the aircraft touched down safely without further incident,” an aviation official had told newsmen.