A private jet operated by Triton Aviation made an emergency return to the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on Thursday after losing a door shortly after take-off, triggering an alert involving airport fire, rescue and medical teams.
The CL60 aircraft, registered as T7-SEI and operating under flight identification DWC052, was heading to the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos when the incident occurred at about 4:20 pm.
An incident report obtained by our correspondent indicated that the crew notified air traffic controllers that a door had opened during flight. The approach radar controller subsequently instructed the aircraft to return to Abuja for an emergency landing.
According to the report, the jet departed Runway 22 at 4:17 pm UTC. It was approximately three nautical miles from the airport and climbing through 3,000 feet when the crew issued a distress call.
The report quoted the crew as saying, “Mayday, Mayday, Mayday.”
Airport emergency services responded by placing fire and rescue personnel, as well as medical teams, on standby. Fire and rescue crews were also directed to designated locations in preparation for the aircraft’s return.
At about 4:29 pm UTC, while communicating with the Abuja control tower, the crew asked air traffic controllers to verify whether the door was open.
The report said the duty controller attempted to inspect the aircraft with binoculars but could not determine the door’s condition because of the jet’s position.
“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 said.
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The aircraft landed safely on Runway 22 at approximately 4:34 pm UTC, around 14 minutes after the Mayday call.
After the landing, the duty controller observed that the door was missing from the aircraft’s fuselage, confirming that the component had been lost during the flight.
The jet was later moved 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, which was reportedly found by farmers on a farm in the Abuja area.
In the footage, a man whose identity could not be established said the farmers discovered the door while returning from their farm.
He said, “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 number of passengers aboard the aircraft was not immediately known as of the time this report was filed.
The Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, Michael Achimugu, confirmed the incident but declined to comment further, saying the matter fell within the responsibility of the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau.
Although the NSIB did not immediately provide an official response to our correspondent, a reliable source within the agency confirmed the seriousness of the incident.
The source said the bureau’s management had deployed investigators to examine the incident and would release an official statement in due course.