A private jet operated by Triton Aviation was forced to return to Abuja after losing a door shortly after take-off from the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, prompting the crew to declare an emergency and triggering a response from airport rescue teams.
The CL60 aircraft, registered as T7-SEI and operating under flight identification DWC052, was scheduled to fly to the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos when the incident occurred.
An incident report obtained by our correspondent indicated that the aircraft had departed Runway 22 at 4:17 pm UTC. About three nautical miles from the airport, while climbing through 3,000 feet, the crew alerted air traffic control that a door had opened in flight.
The crew subsequently issued a distress call, declaring, “Mayday, Mayday, Mayday.”
The approach radar controller then instructed the aircraft to return to Abuja for an emergency landing. Airport fire and rescue personnel, emergency responders and medical teams were alerted and placed on standby, with rescue crews positioned to handle the aircraft’s arrival.
At about 4:29 pm UTC, while communicating with the Abuja control tower, the crew asked air traffic controllers to establish whether the door was open.
According to the report, the duty controller attempted to inspect the aircraft with binoculars but could not determine the door’s condition because of its position. The crew was informed that a visual confirmation was not possible.
The aircraft landed safely on Runway 22 at approximately 4:34 pm UTC, around 14 minutes after the distress call. After landing, the controller observed that the door was missing from the aircraft’s fuselage.
The jet was later guided by a marshaller to the international apron extension, where it was parked.
Meanwhile, a video circulating online showed a door reportedly belonging to the aircraft, said to have been found by farmers in a farm in the Abuja area.
In the footage, a man whose identity was not established explained that the farmers discovered the object while returning from their farmland.
“This is what we found as we were returning from our farm. It fell from a plane, but we don’t know much about its identity. As I am sending it to you, sir, just check it,” he said.
The number of passengers aboard the aircraft had not been confirmed as of the time this report was filed.
Michael Achimugu, Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, confirmed the incident but declined to comment further, saying the matter fell within the responsibility of the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau.
Although the NSIB had yet to issue an official response at the time of filing, a source within the agency confirmed that the incident was being treated seriously.
The source said the bureau’s management had deployed investigators to examine the circumstances surrounding the occurrence and would release an official statement in due course.
