A private jet operated by Triton Aviation narrowly avoided a potential aviation disaster on Thursday after losing a door shortly after take-off from the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja.
The crew of the CL60 aircraft, with registration number T7-SEI and flight identification DWC052, declared a “Mayday” emergency and returned to the airport for an emergency landing.
The aircraft was scheduled to fly from Abuja to the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos when the incident occurred at approximately 4:20 p.m. Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).
According to an incident report, the aircraft departed Runway 22 at 4:17 p.m. UTC. It was about three nautical miles from the airport and 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 direct the aircraft back to Abuja.
Emergency Response Activated at Abuja Airport
Following the distress call, the airport’s fire watch room and medical team were alerted and placed on standby.
Firefighters and other emergency personnel were also directed to designated positions at A4 and A5 in preparation for the aircraft’s return.
At approximately 4:29 p.m. UTC, while communicating with the Abuja control tower, the crew reportedly asked whether air traffic controllers could confirm if the door was open.
The duty air traffic controller attempted to observe the aircraft using binoculars but could not determine the door’s condition because of the aircraft’s position.
The incident report stated that the aircraft 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 that the aircraft had lost the component during the flight.
The jet was subsequently taxied to the international apron extension and parked with the assistance of a marshaller.
Video Shows Alleged Missing Aircraft Door Recovered on Farmland
Meanwhile, a viral video circulating online purportedly showed the missing aircraft door after it was reportedly recovered from farmland in Abuja.
In the video, a man whose identity could not be independently established said 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 in the video.
The identity of the object and the circumstances surrounding its reported recovery were not independently established in the available account.
NCAA, NSIB Confirm Incident
The number of passengers on board the aircraft at the time of the incident was not immediately known.
Triton Aviation, the operator of the private jet, could also not be reached 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 NSIB also confirmed the incident.
A source at the bureau said its management had deployed investigators to conduct further investigations into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The source added that an official statement would be issued soon.
The cause of the door loss and the full circumstances surrounding the incident had yet to be established in the information available at the time of reporting.