A Triton Aviation jet lost a door shortly after taking off from Abuja, forcing the crew to declare a Mayday and make an emergency landing. The incident occurred on Thursday, October 15, 2026, as the aircraft was en route to Lagos.
Jet Departure and Mayday Call
The CL60 aircraft, registered as T7-SEI with flight identification DWC052, departed from Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, bound for Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos. According to a serious incident report cited by Nigerian media outlets, the jet took off from Runway 22 at 1617 UTC.
About three nautical miles from the airport, while climbing through 3,000 feet, the crew transmitted "Mayday, Mayday, Mayday" at 1620 UTC, reporting that a door had opened in flight. The distress call prompted immediate response from air traffic control.
Emergency Response and Safe Landing
Approach radar controllers directed the aircraft back to Abuja. At 1622 UTC, the airport's fire watch room and medical team were placed on standby, with rescue units positioned at designated points on the airfield. At 1629 UTC, the crew asked the control tower whether controllers could confirm if the door was open.
The duty air traffic controller attempted to check with binoculars but could not see the door due to the aircraft's position, according to the report. The jet landed safely on Runway 22 at approximately 1634 UTC, roughly 14 minutes after the distress call. Only after landing did the controller observe that the door was missing from the fuselage. The aircraft was later taxied to the international apron extension and parked with the assistance of a marshaller.
Door Found on Farmland and Investigation
A video circulating online shows farmers who claim to have found a door on farmland in the Abuja area. In the clip, an unidentified man says they came across it while returning from the farm and that it fell from a plane. The number of people on board has not been confirmed.
The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) confirmed the incident through its Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu, but declined to comment further, stating that the matter falls under the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB). NSIB told reporters that investigators had been deployed and an official statement would be issued in due course.
It remains unclear what caused the door to come off, pending the outcome of the NSIB's investigation. Triton Aviation has not responded publicly as at the time of writing.
