A private jet operated by Triton Aviation made an emergency landing at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, after losing a door mid-air on Thursday.
The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) confirmed the incident to TheCable on Friday, saying an investigation had commenced.
“The incident happened yesterday and investigations are ongoing,” a source at the bureau said.
According to a report by Punch on Friday, the aircraft, with registration number T7-SEI and flight identification DWC052, was heading to the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, when the incident occurred at about 4:20 pm.
Citing an incident report, the publication said the aircraft was about three nautical miles from the airport and climbing through 3,000 feet when the crew issued a distress call.
“Mayday, Mayday, Mayday,” the crew reportedly transmitted.
Following the distress call, airport fire and emergency personnel, alongside the medical team, were alerted and placed on standby.
Fire and rescue teams were also directed to designated positions in preparation for the aircraft’s return.
The report further stated that at about 4:29 pm UTC, while communicating with the Abuja control tower, the crew asked whether air traffic 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 subsequently landed safely on Runway 22 at approximately 4:34 pm UTC, about 14 minutes after the Mayday call.
Following the landing, the duty controller reportedly observed that the aircraft’s door was missing from the fuselage.
The jet was then taxied to the international apron extension and parked with the assistance of a marshaller.
Meanwhile, a video circulating on social media showed what appeared to be an aircraft door lying on farmland near Abuja.
According to Billionaires.Africa, the NSIB confirmed that the door had been recovered.
“The door has been recovered and secured at the NSIB wreckage hangar,” the bureau said.
The NSIB said it had commenced an investigation to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident and would provide updates as the investigation progresses.
