ABUJA, Nigeria — A CL60 private jet operated by Triton Aviation made an emergency landing at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport on October 15, 2026, after losing a door mid-air shortly after takeoff.
Golden Info reports that the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu, confirmed the incident on October 16, 2026, noting that official investigations fall under the purview of the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau.
The aircraft, bearing registration number T7-SEI and flight identification DWC052, departed Abuja for Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos, Nigeria, at 4:17 PM WAT from Runway 22. While climbing through 3,000 feet approximately 3 nautical miles from the airport, the flight crew issued a “Mayday” distress call at 4:20 PM WAT after a door opened in flight.
Air traffic controllers placed airport fire, rescue, and medical teams on standby while directing the aircraft back to Abuja. At 4:29 PM WAT, the crew asked controllers to confirm if the door was still attached, but duty officers using binoculars could not visually verify the condition due to the aircraft’s position.
The jet landed safely on Runway 22 at 4:34 PM WAT, approximately 14 minutes after transmitting the distress call. Following touchdown, the duty controller confirmed that the door was missing from the fuselage before a marshaller guided the jet to park on the international apron extension.
Farmers returning from their fields later recovered the missing door on farmland in the Abuja area. Investigators from the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau were deployed to inspect the site and the aircraft, while the exact number of passengers on board remained unconfirmed.