A private jet operated by Triton Aviation has made a safe emergency landing in Abuja after losing a door shortly after take-off, prompting the crew to issue a distress call.
The incident occurred on Thursday, October 15, when the CL60 aircraft, with registration number T7-SEI, departed the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport for the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos.
According to an air traffic control incident report, the aircraft took off at 4:17 pm UTC. About three nautical miles from the airport, while climbing through 3,000 feet, the crew transmitted a “Mayday” distress call after reporting that a door had opened during the flight.
Air traffic controllers immediately instructed the aircraft to return to Abuja for an emergency landing. Airport fire and rescue personnel, alongside medical teams, were placed on standby in preparation for its arrival.
At approximately 4:29 pm UTC, the crew contacted the control tower to ask whether officials could confirm that the door was open. The duty air traffic controller attempted to observe the aircraft with binoculars but could not clearly establish the door’s condition because of the aircraft’s position.
The aircraft eventually landed safely on Runway 22 at 4:34 pm UTC, around 14 minutes after the distress call.
Following the landing, the controller observed that the door was missing from the aircraft’s fuselage. The jet was subsequently moved to the international apron extension and parked safely.
Missing Door Recovered as Investigation Begins
In a further development, the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) confirmed that it had commenced an investigation into the incident involving the Challenger 604 aircraft.
The bureau disclosed that the aircraft had nine people on board, comprising three crew members and six passengers. All returned safely to Abuja.
NSIB Director-General, Captain Alex Badeh Jr, said the missing door had been recovered and secured at the bureau’s wreckage hangar as investigators worked to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The investigation is expected to determine how the door became detached during flight and identify any safety issues that may have contributed to the occurrence.
The incident has raised fresh questions about aircraft safety, while the safe return of the jet prevented what could have been a far more serious aviation emergency.
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