The Triton Aviation aircraft was forced to return to Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport after its crew reported that a door had opened during the climb; the jet landed safely as aviation investigators launched a probe.

A private jet operated by Triton Aviation narrowly avoided a potentially serious aviation incident on Thursday after losing a door shortly after taking off from the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja.

The aircraft, a CL60 business jet with registration number T7-SEI and flight identification DWC052, was travelling from Abuja to the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, when the incident occurred at approximately 4:20 p.m. UTC.

The crew declared a “Mayday” distress call after reporting that a door had opened mid-air, prompting air traffic controllers to direct the aircraft back to Abuja for an emergency landing.

According to an incident report, the jet took off from Runway 22 at 4:17 p.m. UTC. It was approximately three nautical miles from the airport and climbing through 3,000 feet when the crew alerted air traffic control to the emergency.

Following the distress call, the approach radar controller instructed the aircraft to return to the airport while emergency response teams were placed on standby.

The airport’s fire watch room and medical team were alerted, while fire and rescue personnel were deployed to designated positions at A4 and A5 in preparation for the aircraft’s arrival.

Crew Sought Confirmation of Missing Door

The incident report indicated that the crew later sought confirmation from air traffic controllers about the condition of the door.

At approximately 4:29 p.m. UTC, while communicating with the Abuja control tower, the crew asked whether controllers could determine if the door was open.

The duty air traffic controller reportedly attempted to inspect the aircraft using binoculars but could not establish the door’s condition because of the aircraft’s position.

The jet subsequently landed safely on Runway 22 at approximately 4:34 p.m. UTC, about 14 minutes after the Mayday call.

However, a post-landing observation confirmed the seriousness of the incident, as the duty controller noticed that the door was missing from the aircraft’s fuselage.

The aircraft was later taxied to the international apron extension, where it was parked with the assistance of a marshaller.

Missing Door Reportedly Found on Farmland

Meanwhile, a video circulating on social media purportedly showed the missing aircraft door after it was reportedly recovered from farmland in Abuja.

In the footage, a man whose identity could not be independently established said 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 man said.

The circumstances surrounding the door’s detachment, including how it came loose during flight and where exactly it landed, were not immediately clear.

The number of passengers and crew members aboard the aircraft was also not immediately known.

Triton Aviation could not be reached for comment as of the time of filing this report.

NCAA Confirms Incident as NSIB Begins Investigation

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 further because the matter fell under the jurisdiction 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 examine the circumstances surrounding the aircraft’s loss of a door, adding that an official statement would be released soon.

The investigation is expected to establish what caused the door to detach, whether any technical or maintenance issues were involved, and the safety implications of the incident.

Although the aircraft landed without a reported accident, the incident has raised questions about the circumstances that led to the door coming off during the flight.

The findings of the NSIB investigation are expected to provide further details about the cause of the incident and any measures that may be required to prevent a recurrence.