By Sabiu Abdullahi
A private jet operated by Triton Aviation made an emergency landing at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja after losing a door shortly after take-off while travelling to Lagos.
The incident occurred on Thursday at about 4:20 pm, involving a CL60 aircraft with registration number T7-SEI and flight identification DWC052.
According to an incident report obtained by PUNCH, the crew alerted air traffic controllers that a door had opened during the flight, prompting instructions for the aircraft to return to Abuja.
The report indicated that the jet had departed Runway 22 at 4:17 pm UTC. It was “about three nautical miles from the airport, climbing through 3,000 feet, when the crew transmitted a distress call: ‘Mayday, Mayday, Mayday.’”
Airport firefighters, emergency responders and medical personnel were immediately placed on standby as preparations began for the aircraft’s return.
At about 4:29 pm UTC, the crew contacted the control tower to ask whether officials could determine if 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 said.
The aircraft landed safely on Runway 22 at approximately 4:34 pm UTC, about 14 minutes after the distress call.
After landing, the air traffic controller observed that the door was missing from the aircraft’s fuselage. The jet was subsequently moved to the international apron extension with the assistance of a marshaller.
Meanwhile, a video obtained by 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 was not 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.”
The number of passengers aboard the aircraft had not been confirmed at the time of reporting.
The Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, Michael Achimugu, confirmed the incident but said the investigation fell under the responsibility of the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB).
Although the NSIB had not issued an official statement at the time, a source within the agency confirmed the seriousness of the incident and said investigators had been deployed.
The source added that the bureau’s management would release an official statement in due course.
Triton Aviation could not be reached for comment before the report was filed.
