Private jet forced into emergency landing in Abuja after door detaches

• Farmers find aircraft door in bush

A major disaster was narrowly avoided on Thursday when a Bombardier Challenger 600 (CL60) aircraft operated by Triton Aviation was forced to make an emergency landing shortly after taking off from Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja, after its door detached mid-air.

Farmers later recovered the missing door on a farm on the outskirts of the Federal Capital Territory, as captured in a viral video obtained by Aviation Metric.

According to an official incident report obtained by the aircraft—bearing registration number T7-SEI and operating under flight identification DWC052 was en route to the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos, when the mid-air emergency unfolded at approximately 4:20 p.m. UTC.

The report indicates that the private jet departed Runway 22 at NAIA at 4:17 p.m. UTC. Barely three nautical miles from the airport and climbing through 3,000 feet, the flight crew radioed Air Traffic Control (ATC) with an urgent declaration: “Mayday, Mayday, Mayday.”

Mayday is an international voice distress signal used in aviation and maritime communications to indicate an immediate danger to life

The crew alerted the approach radar controller that an aircraft door had blown open, prompting immediate emergency vectoring to guide the jet back to NAIA for an immediate landing.

After the distress call, emergency response units, including the airport’s fire watch room and medical teams, were activated and positioned at designated tactical points, A4 and A5, along the airfield in anticipation of a potential hard landing.

The incident report further detailed communication between the cockpit and air traffic controllers prior to landing:

“At about 4:29 p.m. UTC, while in contact with the Abuja control tower, the crew asked whether air traffic controllers could confirm if the door was open,” the document revealed.

“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.”

While ground handlers assessed the damaged jet, video evidence surfaced online showing local farmers examining the detached door in a rural field near Abuja.

In the audio accompanying the video, an unidentified male voice stated:

“This is what we found as we were returning from our farm. It fell from a plane, but we don’t know much about who it belongs to. As I am sending it to you, sir, just check it.”

As of press time, the total number of passengers and crew members on board remained unconfirmed, and representatives of Triton Aviation could not be reached for official comment.

When contacted, sources at the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) confirmed the development but declined to comment further, noting that the safety bureau has the official investigative authority.

Wole Shadare