A CL60 aircraft operated by Triton Aviation was forced to make an emergency landing at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja after losing a door shortly after take-off while heading to Lagos on Thursday, October 15, 2026.
The aircraft, with registration number T7-SEI and flight identification DWC052, took off from Runway 22 at about 4:17 p.m. and was heading to the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, when the incident occurred.
According to an incident report, at about 4:20 p.m., while climbing through 3,000 feet and approximately three nautical miles from the airport, the crew issued a distress call, repeatedly declaring, “Mayday, Mayday, Mayday,” after reporting that a door had opened during the flight.
Air traffic controllers immediately directed the aircraft to return to Abuja for an emergency landing. Airport fire and rescue personnel, alongside medical teams, were placed on standby in preparation for its arrival.
At about 4:29 p.m., the crew asked air traffic controllers whether they could see the condition of the door. The controller attempted to inspect the aircraft using binoculars but could not confirm the situation because of its position.
The aircraft eventually landed safely on Runway 22 at approximately 4:34 p.m., about 14 minutes after the distress call. After landing, the controller observed that the door was missing from the aircraft’s body.
The aircraft was subsequently moved to the international apron extension and parked safely.
Meanwhile, a video circulating online appeared to show the missing aircraft door recovered by farmers from a farm in the Abuja area. In the video, an unidentified man said they discovered the object while returning from their farm.
The incident has raised questions about how the aircraft lost its door while flying and where the missing part landed. However, the cause of the incident remains unknown, pending the outcome of the investigation.
The Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Michael Achimugu, confirmed the incident but stated that the investigation falls under the jurisdiction of the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB).
The NSIB also confirmed the incident and disclosed that investigators had been deployed to examine what happened.
As of the latest reports, the number of passengers on board had not been confirmed, while Triton Aviation had yet to issue an official response.
Investigators are expected to establish what caused the door to come off during the flight and determine the circumstances surrounding the incident.
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