A private jet operated by Triton Aviation has made an emergency landing at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, after losing a door shortly after take-off, triggering an emergency response at the airport.

The aircraft, a CL60 jet with registration number T7-SEI and flight identification DWC052, was heading to the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos when the incident occurred at about 4:20 pm on Thursday.

An incident report indicated that the crew alerted air traffic controllers that a door had opened during the flight, prompting instructions for the aircraft to return to Abuja for an emergency landing.

According to the report, the jet departed Runway 22 at 4:17 pm UTC but encountered the problem approximately three nautical miles from the airport while climbing through 3,000 feet.

The crew subsequently issued a distress call, declaring, “Mayday, Mayday, Mayday,” to alert air traffic control to the emergency.

Following the distress call, airport firefighting and rescue personnel, alongside medical teams, were immediately mobilised and placed on standby to respond to any eventuality.

The emergency response teams were also directed to designated locations to prepare for the aircraft’s return.

At about 4:29 pm UTC, the crew, while communicating with the Abuja control tower, sought confirmation from the controllers on whether the aircraft’s door was open.

The report stated that the duty air traffic controller attempted to inspect the aircraft with binoculars but could not determine the door’s condition because of the jet’s position.

The crew was subsequently informed that the controller could not visually confirm the situation.

The aircraft eventually touched down safely on Runway 22 at approximately 4:34 pm UTC, about 14 minutes after the Mayday call.

After the landing, the duty controller observed that the door was missing from the aircraft’s fuselage, confirming that it had been lost during the flight.

The jet was later moved to the international apron extension, where it was parked with the assistance of a marshaller.

Meanwhile, a video obtained after the incident showed the detached aircraft door, reportedly recovered by farmers from a farmland in the Abuja area.

In the video, a man whose identity was not established said the farmers discovered 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 number of passengers aboard the aircraft was not immediately known as of the time of filing this report.

The Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, Michael Achimugu, confirmed the incident but declined to comment further, explaining that the matter fell within the jurisdiction of the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau.

Although the NSIB had yet to issue an official statement at the time of filing this report, a reliable source within the agency confirmed the seriousness of the incident.

The source disclosed that the bureau’s management had deployed investigators to examine the circumstances surrounding the incident and would release an official statement in due course.

Efforts to reach Triton Aviation, the operator of the aircraft, for comments were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.