Private Jet Loses Door During Flight from Abuja to Lagos

The door of a private jet operated by Triton Aviation Limited came off mid-flight last month. This happened after a cabin crew member checked it on the captain's orders, according to the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB).

The incident involved a Bombardier Challenger 604 aircraft, registration number T7-SEI. It was on flight DWC052 from Abuja to Lagos on 15 October.

The NSIB's preliminary investigation report, released on Thursday, said the problem occurred during the aircraft's initial climb. The flight crew noticed a rapid rise in cabin altitude, which made them worry about a possible pressurisation issue.

The captain then asked the cabin crew member to check the aircraft's main door. The crew member first checked the door from her seat and said it looked properly closed, with the green indicator band in place.

But the captain wanted a closer look and told her to get up and check the door. As she got closer, the door suddenly opened and came off the aircraft, the report noted.

This led the flight crew to declare an emergency and quickly plan to return to Abuja.

Crew Calls for Emergency Help

The NSIB report stated that the captain took control of the aircraft right after the door came off. The first officer took over monitoring duties.

At 17:19:20, the crew declared an emergency over the radio, repeatedly sending out the distress call, "Mayday, Mayday, Mayday."

They also told Abuja Radar Control that the door had opened. Abuja Radar Control acknowledged the emergency at 17:19:51 and asked if the aircraft could turn right.

The crew confirmed at 17:20:20 that they could turn and asked for a heading and altitude. Radar Control then approved a northbound heading, which the pilot confirmed.

At 17:25:35, the pilot contacted Abuja Radar Control for clearance to approach. Two seconds later, the controller said the aircraft was nine nautical miles north of the airfield, at POKMO, and cleared it for an Instrument Landing System approach.

The crew was told to report when they were established on the approach. The aircraft landed safely on Runway 22 at about 17:34 local time. All nine people on board, including two pilots, one cabin crew member, and six passengers, got out safely without injuries.

However, the aircraft was badly damaged.

The bureau said investigators later found the detached door in a cornfield at Gui Village, Abuja Municipal Area Council, about five miles southwest of the airport.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that the aircraft made an emergency landing at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, after the crew reported a door had opened shortly after take-off.

The aircraft was on its way to Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, when the crew issued a Mayday call about three nautical miles from the airport.

Emergency Services on Standby

The emergency led airport fire and rescue teams and medical personnel to be ready for the aircraft's return.

After landing, air traffic controllers saw that the door was missing from the aircraft's body. The NSIB began a preliminary investigation into the incident and secured the missing door in its wreckage hangar.

The preliminary report gives more details about what happened before the door came off and how the flight crew reacted. But the bureau warned that the report only includes facts known so far and does not offer any analysis or conclusions about the causes or factors involved.

The NSIB investigation is still ongoing. A final report with findings and further safety recommendations will be ready once the investigation is completed.