Nigeria: Aircraft Loses Door Mid-Air, Makes Emergency Landing in Abuja

What the report says

An aircraft operated by Triton Aviation made an emergency landing at Abuja’s Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport on Thursday after the crew reported that a door had opened in flight shortly after takeoff. According to the report cited by Premium Times and distributed by AllAfrica, the CL60 aircraft, registered as T7-SEI and operating as flight DWC052, had departed Abuja for Lagos when the problem was detected.

The incident was reported around 4:20 p.m. UTC, about three nautical miles from the airport, while the aircraft was climbing. Air traffic controllers directed the crew to return to Abuja, and airport fire and rescue teams, along with medical staff, were placed on standby. The plane landed safely on Runway 22 about 14 minutes after the distress call, and the controller later observed that the door was missing from the fuselage.

The aircraft was then taxied to the apron and parked. The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau said investigators had been deployed, and the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority also confirmed the event. The report said the cause of the door’s detachment was not yet established, and the number of people on board was not immediately available. The case highlights ongoing aviation safety concerns and the importance of accident investigation procedures when in-flight incidents occur.