A private jet operated by Triton Aviation has made an emergency landing at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, after losing a door shortly after take-off.
The CL60 aircraft, with registration number T7-SEI and flight identification DWC052, was heading to the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, when the incident occurred on Thursday.
An air traffic control incident report indicated that the aircraft took off from Runway 22 at about 4:17 pm UTC but declared a Mayday emergency call shortly afterwards while climbing through 3,000 feet, about three nautical miles from the airport.
The crew reportedly alerted air traffic controllers that a door had opened during the flight, prompting instructions for the aircraft to return to Abuja.
Airport fire and medical teams were placed on standby as emergency personnel positioned themselves at designated points to prepare for the aircraft’s return.
The aircraft landed safely on Runway 22 at about 4:34 pm UTC, approximately 14 minutes after the distress call.
According to the report, air traffic controllers confirmed after landing that the door was missing from the aircraft’s fuselage. The jet was subsequently guided to the international apron extension and parked.
In a development that highlighted the circumstances of the incident, the missing door was reportedly found by farmers on farmland in Abuja.
A video circulating online showed the door lying on the ground, with a man saying it had apparently fallen from an aircraft as they returned from their farm.
The number of passengers on board was not immediately known, while efforts to reach Triton Aviation for comments were unsuccessful.
The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) confirmed the incident but said it fell under the purview of the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB).
The NSIB also confirmed the incident, saying its investigators had been deployed to investigate the circumstances surrounding the aircraft’s loss of a door.
The bureau is expected to issue an official statement as its investigation progresses.
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