A private jet operated by Triton Aviation narrowly avoided disaster on Thursday after losing a door mid-air, forcing the crew to declare an emergency and return to Abuja for an emergency landing.
The private jet loses door Abuja emergency landing incident sent panic through the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport and prompted the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau to deploy investigators .
THE INCIDENT
The CL60 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 p.m. UTC.
The incident showed that the crew informed the air traffic control tower that a door had opened in flight, prompting the approach radar controller to direct the aircraft back to Abuja for an emergency landing.
The report further showed that the aircraft took off from Runway 22 at 4:17 p.m. UTC.
It was “about three nautical miles from the airport, climbing through 3,000 feet, when the crew transmitted a distress call: ‘Mayday, Mayday, Mayday’”.
THE RESPONSE
Following the distress call, airport fire and emergency personnel, as well as the medical team, were immediately alerted and placed on standby.
Fire and rescue teams were also directed to designated positions to prepare for the aircraft’s return.
The incident report stated that at about 4:29 p.m. UTC, while in contact with the Abuja control tower, the crew asked whether the 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 said .
The aircraft eventually landed safely on Runway 22 at approximately 4:34 p.m. UTC, about 14 minutes after the Mayday call .
Following the landing, the duty controller observed that the aircraft’s door was missing from the fuselage, confirming the seriousness of the incident .The jet was subsequently taxied to the international apron extension and parked with the assistance of a marshaller .
THE RECOVERED DOOR
Meanwhile, a video posted online 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 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 man said .
THE INVESTIGATION
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, adding that the matter fell under the purview of the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau.
Although the NSIB could not immediately provide an official comment, a reliable source in the agency confirmed the seriousness of the incident .The source said the bureau’s management had deployed investigators and would issue an official statement in due course.
THE PREVIOUS INCIDENT
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ValidViewNetwork found that the aircraft had previously suffered a stabiliser trim failure in the United Kingdom on November 11, 2005.
The failure occurred at 3:22 p.m., approximately eight nautical miles west of the Midhurst VOR, a navigational aid in West Sussex, England.
However, the available information does not establish the precise cause of the 2005 incident, how it was resolved, or whether it resulted in injuries or damage.
The aircraft is associated with Shoreline Energy International, a Nigerian energy company, whose chairman is Kola Karim. The records indicate that Shoreline Energy International acquired the aircraft in May 2024 .
WHY IT MATTERS
The incident raises serious questions about the maintenance and airworthiness of private charter aircraft in Nigeria.
A door detaching at 3,000 feet is a catastrophic failure that could have resulted in fatalities. That the aircraft landed safely is a testament to the crew’s professionalism and the emergency response system.
But the fact that it happened at all, and that the aircraft had a previous stabiliser failure will be central to the NSIB investigation.
ValidViewNetwork reports that the investigation is ongoing. The number of passengers on board has not been confirmed.