A private jet operated by Triton Aviation was forced to make an emergency landing on Thursday after losing a door mid-air shortly after taking off from the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.
The aircraft, a CL60 with registration number T7-SEI and flight identification DWC052, was en route to the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos when the incident occurred at approximately 4:20 p.m.
According to the incident report, the flight crew promptly informed air traffic control that a door had opened during the flight. The approach radar controller directed the aircraft to return to Abuja, where it landed safely.
A social media influencer, @ChuksEricE, shared a video on X (formerly Twitter) showing the aircraft and the detached door, which was reportedly recovered from a local farm where it fell.
The alarming incident has intensified scrutiny over aviation safety in Nigeria, raising serious questions regarding the maintenance standards and operational integrity of private charter aircraft. A door detachment mid-flight poses severe safety risks, most notably the potential for rapid cabin decompression and catastrophic structural failure.
As of press time, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) have yet to issue an official statement regarding the incident or the condition of the passengers and crew on board.
Authorities are expected to launch a formal investigation to determine how the door detached and why the defect was not caught during pre-flight safety checks.
