Passengers and airport personnel were thrown into a tense situation on Thursday after a CL60 aircraft operated by Triton Aviation lost a door mid-flight shortly after take-off from the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, forcing the crew to declare an emergency.
The aircraft, with registration number T7-SEI and flight identification DWC052, was en route to the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, when the incident occurred at about 4:20 pm, according to information obtained by our correspondent.
An incident report obtained by our correspondent showed that the crew alerted air traffic control that a door had opened in flight, prompting the approach radar controller to direct the aircraft back to Abuja for an emergency landing.
According to the report, the aircraft took off from Runway 22 at 4:17 pm UTC. It was about three nautical miles from the airport and climbing through 3,000 feet when the crew issued a distress call.
“Mayday, Mayday, Mayday,” the crew transmitted.
Following the distress call, airport fire and emergency personnel, alongside the medical team, were immediately alerted and placed on standby. Fire and rescue teams were also directed to designated positions in preparation for the aircraft’s return.
The report further stated that at about 4:29 pm 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 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 stated.
The aircraft eventually landed safely on Runway 22 at approximately 4:34 pm UTC, about 14 minutes after the distress call.
After the landing, the duty controller observed that the aircraft’s door was missing from the fuselage, confirming that the component had detached during the flight.
The jet was subsequently taxied to the international apron extension and parked with the assistance of a marshaller.
Meanwhile, a video obtained by The Telegraph showed the missing door, reportedly recovered by farmers from a farm in the Abuja area.
In the video, a man whose identity could not be independently 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,” he said.
The number of passengers on board the aircraft could not be immediately confirmed as of the time of filing this report.
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 further, explaining that the matter fell under the purview of the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau.
Although the NSIB did not immediately provide an official comment to our correspondent, a reliable source within the agency confirmed that the incident was being taken seriously.
The source said the bureau’s management had deployed investigators to examine the incident and would issue an official statement in due course.
Triton Aviation, the aircraft’s operator, could not be reached for comment as of the time of filing this report.
