A private jet operated by Triton Aviation narrowly avoided a possible air 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 Airport, Lagos, when the incident occurred at about 4:20 p.m. UTC.
An incident report showed that the aircraft took off from Runway 22 at 4:17 p.m. UTC and was about three nautical miles from the airport, climbing through 3,000 feet, when the crew declared the emergency.
According to the report, the crew informed air traffic controllers that a door had opened mid-air, prompting the approach radar controller to direct the aircraft back to Abuja.
Following the distress call, the airport’s fire watch room and medical team were alerted and placed 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 that at about 4:29 p.m. 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 attempted to observe the aircraft with binoculars but could not establish the door’s condition because of the aircraft’s position.
“The aircraft landed safely on Runway 22 at approximately 4:34 p.m. UTC, 14 minutes after the Mayday call,” the report stated.
After landing, the duty controller observed that the door was missing from the aircraft’s fuselage, confirming the seriousness of the incident.
The aircraft was subsequently taxied to the international apron extension and parked with the assistance of a marshaller.
Meanwhile, a viral video showed what was reportedly the missing aircraft door, which farmers allegedly recovered from farmland in Abuja.
In the video, a man whose identity could not be established 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 was not immediately known. Triton Aviation, the operator of the 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 it 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, adding that an official statement would be issued soon.