A private jet operated by Triton Aviation was forced to make an emergency landing in Abuja on Thursday after reportedly losing a door mid-air shortly after take-off.
The CL60 aircraft, with registration number T7-SEI and flight identification DWC052, was travelling from Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, to Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, when the incident occurred.
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According to an incident report obtained by The PUNCH, the aircraft took off from Runway 22 at about 4:17pm UTC.
Approximately three nautical miles from the airport, while climbing through 3,000 feet, the crew transmitted a distress call.
“Mayday, Mayday, Mayday,” the crew reportedly declared.
The crew informed air traffic control that a door had opened during the flight, prompting the approach radar controller to instruct the aircraft to return to Abuja for an emergency landing.
Airport fire and emergency personnel, alongside medical teams, were immediately alerted and placed on standby in preparation for the aircraft’s return.
At about 4:29pm UTC, while communicating with the Abuja control tower, the crew asked whether air traffic controllers could confirm if the door was open.
The duty air traffic controller reportedly attempted to inspect the aircraft with binoculars but was unable to determine the condition of the door because of the aircraft’s position.
The crew was subsequently informed that the controller could not visually confirm the situation.
The aircraft eventually landed safely on Runway 22 at approximately 4:34pm UTC, about 14 minutes after the Mayday call.
Following the landing, the duty controller observed that the aircraft’s door was missing from the fuselage.
The aircraft was later taxied to the international apron extension, where it was parked with the assistance of a marshaller.
A video obtained by The PUNCH showed what was reportedly the missing aircraft door after it was recovered by farmers from a farm in the Abuja area.
In the video, a man whose identity could not be established said the farmers discovered 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,” he said.
The number of passengers on board the aircraft could not be immediately confirmed.
The Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, 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.
Although the NSIB had not issued an official statement as of the time of filing the report, a reliable source within the agency confirmed that investigators had been deployed.
The source said the bureau’s management would issue an official statement in due course.
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Triton Aviation could not be reached for comment as of the time of filing the report.
Mariam Balogun is a contributor to Freelanews.com, covering news, business, and public affairs.
