A private jet operated by Triton Aviation was forced to make an emergency landing at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on Thursday after losing a door mid-flight shortly after take-off.
The CL60 aircraft, with registration number T7-SEI and flight identification DWC052, was reportedly heading to the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, when the incident occurred at about 4:20 pm.
An incident report obtained by The PUNCH indicated that the crew alerted air traffic controllers that a door had opened during the flight, prompting the approach radar controller to direct the aircraft back to Abuja for an emergency landing.
According to the report, the aircraft departed Runway 22 at 4:17 pm UTC and was about three nautical miles from the airport, climbing through 3,000 feet, when the crew issued a distress call.
“Mayday, Mayday, Mayday,” the crew reportedly transmitted, signalling an emergency.
Following the distress call, airport firefighters, emergency response personnel and medical teams were immediately alerted and placed on standby. Fire and rescue teams were also deployed to designated positions in preparation for the aircraft’s return.
The report further stated that at about 4:29 pm UTC, while communicating with the Abuja control tower, the crew asked air traffic controllers to confirm whether the door was open.
“The duty air traffic controller attempted to observe the aircraft using binoculars, but could not establish the door’s condition because of the aircraft’s position. The crew was subsequently informed that the controller could not confirm the situation visually,” the report stated.
The aircraft eventually landed safely on Runway 22 at approximately 4:34 pm UTC, about 14 minutes after the Mayday call.
After the landing, the duty controller observed that the door was missing from the aircraft’s fuselage, confirming the extent of the incident.
The jet was subsequently taxied to the international apron extension, where it was parked with the assistance of a marshaller.
Meanwhile, a video obtained by The PUNCH showed the missing door, reportedly recovered by farmers from a farmland in the Abuja area.
In the footage, a man whose identity could not be established said the farmers found the door while returning from their farm.
“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,” the man said.
The number of passengers aboard the aircraft was not immediately known as of the time of filing this report.
The Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, Michael Achimugu, confirmed the incident but declined to comment further, explaining that the matter fell within the jurisdiction of the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau.
Although the NSIB could not immediately provide an official response, a reliable source within the agency confirmed the seriousness of the incident.
The source disclosed that the bureau’s management had deployed investigators to examine the circumstances surrounding the occurrence and would issue an official statement in due course.
Triton Aviation, the operator of the aircraft, could not be reached for comment as of the time of filing this report.
