An air crash was averted on Thursday after a CL60 aircraft operated by Triton Aviation lost a door shortly after take-off from the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja, forcing the crew to declare a “Mayday” emergency.
The aircraft, with registration number, T7-SEI and flight identification DWC052, was scheduled to fly from Abuja to the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos when the incident occurred at 4:20pm.
An incident report obtained by our reporter indicated that the aircraft had taken off from Runway 22 at 4:17 pm, UTC, and was about three nautical miles from the airport, climbing through 3,000 feet when the crew declared an emergency.
According to the report, the crew informed air traffic controllers that a door had opened in flight, prompting the approach radar controller to direct the aircraft back to Abuja for an emergency landing.
Following the distress call, the airport’s fire watch room and medical team were alerted and instructed to remain on standby.
Fire and emergency personnel were also directed to designated positions at A4 and A5 in preparation for the aircraft’s return.
The report stated: “At 4:29 pm, UTC, while in contact with the Abuja control tower, the crew 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 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 aircraft landed safely on Runway 22 at approximately 4:34pm, UTC, 14 minutes after the Mayday call.”
The report added that after the aircraft landed, the duty controller observed that the door was missing from the fuselage, confirming the seriousness of the incident.
The aircraft was subsequently taxied to the international apron extension, where it was parked with the assistance of a marshaller.
About 4:40pm, the crew reported that the marshaller was in sight before the aircraft was positioned in its parking area.
Meanwhile, a viral video showed that the missing aircraft’s door was reportedly recovered by farmers in a farmland within Abuja.
In the video, a male voice whose identity could not be established at the time of filing this report, said the farmers found the door 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 voice said.
The number of passengers on board the aircraft could not be ascertained at the time of filing this report. Triton Aviation, the operator of the jet, could also not be reached for comments.
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 on it, explaining that the incident fell under the purview of the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB).
Meanwhile, the NSIB said it had commenced an investigation into the separation of a door from a Challenger 604 aircraft operated by Triton Aviation shortly after takeoff from Abuja.
It said the aircraft, with registration number, T7-SEI, was en route to Lagos when the crew declared a Mayday following the separation of the door during flight.
In a statement, the NSIB Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the NSIB, Captain Alex Badeh Jr. said the aircraft departed Abuja at 1612 UTC.
The Bureau said the incident occurred when the aircraft was three nautical miles from the airport, passing 3,500 feet.
Following the Mayday call, the aircraft returned to Abuja and landed safely on Runway 22 at 1634, UTC.
The aircraft had 9 people on board, comprising three crew members and six passengers.
The NSIB said the detached door had been recovered and secured at its wreckage hangar as investigations commenced to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The Bureau added that it would provide further updates as the investigation progresses.
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