A private jet operated by Triton Aviation has made an emergency landing at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja after losing a door shortly after take-off.
The incident occurred on Thursday at about 4:20 p.m. as the aircraft, registered as T7-SEI, was heading to the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos.
According to an incident report obtained by The Guardian, the aircraft took off from Abuja’s Runway 22 at 4:17 p.m. UTC and was climbing through 3,000 feet, about three nautical miles from the airport, when the crew declared a “Mayday” emergency.
The crew reportedly informed air traffic control that a door had opened in flight, prompting controllers to direct the aircraft back to Abuja for an emergency landing.
Airport fire and emergency teams, as well as medical personnel, were immediately alerted and placed on standby ahead of the aircraft’s return.
The report stated that the crew later asked air traffic controllers whether they could confirm if the door was open. However, an attempt to inspect the aircraft with binoculars proved unsuccessful because of its position.
The aircraft eventually landed safely on Runway 22 at about 4:34 p.m. UTC, approximately 14 minutes after the distress call.
After landing, the duty air traffic controller observed that the door was missing from the aircraft’s fuselage. The jet was subsequently moved to the international apron extension and parked with the assistance of a marshaller.
Missing door found on Abuja farm
In a separate development, a video circulating online showed what appeared to be the missing aircraft door found by farmers on a farm in Abuja.
In the video, a man whose identity could not be established said the farmers discovered the object while returning from their farm. He added that they believed it had fallen from an aircraft but did not know further details about its identity.
The number of passengers on board the aircraft was not immediately known, while Triton Aviation could not be reached for comments at the time of filing this report.
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, adding that the matter fell under the jurisdiction of the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB).
The NSIB also confirmed the incident, saying its management had deployed investigators to examine the circumstances surrounding the occurrence. The bureau said an official statement would be issued later.
Although the aircraft landed safely, the loss of a door during flight has raised concerns about the circumstances surrounding the incident, which investigators are expected to establish.
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