A private jet operated by Triton Aviation narrowly escaped a potential aviation disaster on Thursday after losing a door shortly after taking off from the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja.
The aircraft, a CL60 business jet with registration number T7-SEI and flight identification DWC052, reportedly declared a “Mayday” distress call before returning safely to the airport for an emergency landing.
The incident occurred at about 4:20 p.m. UTC, shortly after the aircraft departed Abuja for the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
According to an incident report, the jet took off from Runway 22 at 4:17 p.m. UTC and was approximately three nautical miles from the airport, climbing through 3,000 feet, when the crew declared the emergency.
The crew reportedly informed air traffic controllers that a door had opened mid-air, prompting the approach radar controller to instruct the aircraft to return to Abuja.
Following the distress call, the airport’s fire watch room and medical team were alerted and placed on standby. Fire and emergency personnel were also directed to designated positions at A4 and A5 ahead of the aircraft’s return.
At about 4:29 p.m. UTC, while communicating with the Abuja control tower, the crew reportedly asked air traffic controllers to confirm whether the door was open.
The duty air traffic controller attempted to observe the aircraft with binoculars but could not determine the door’s condition because of the aircraft’s position.
The aircraft eventually landed safely on Runway 22 at approximately 4:34 p.m. UTC, about 14 minutes after the Mayday call.
After landing, the duty controller observed that the door was missing from the aircraft’s fuselage, confirming the severity of the incident.
The jet was subsequently taxied to the international apron extension and parked with the assistance of a marshaller.
Missing Aircraft Door Reportedly Found on Farmland
Meanwhile, a viral video circulating online showed what was reportedly the missing aircraft door, allegedly recovered by farmers from farmland in Abuja.
In the video, a man whose identity could not be independently established said the farmers found the object 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.
However, the circumstances surrounding the recovery of the object and its connection to the aircraft were not independently established in the account.
NCAA Confirms Incident
The number of passengers aboard the aircraft at the time of the incident was not immediately known.
Triton Aviation, the operator of the jet, was also unavailable for comment as of the time of filing this report.
When contacted, the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Michael Achimugu, confirmed the incident but said the agency could not comment because the matter fell under the purview of the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB).
The incident is expected to draw attention to aircraft safety and the circumstances that led to the door becoming detached shortly after take-off.
