A private jet operated by Triton Aviation was forced to make an emergency landing at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, after losing a door shortly after take-off on a flight to Lagos.

The incident occurred on Thursday afternoon, October 15, when the aircraft, identified by registration number T7-SEIand flight identification DWC052, was travelling to the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos.

According to an incident report obtained by PUNCH, the crew declared a Mayday emergency after discovering that a door had opened or become detached while the aircraft was airborne, prompting air traffic controllers to direct the jet back to Abuja.

The report indicated that the aircraft departed Runway 22 at 4:17 pm UTC. Approximately three nautical miles from the airport, while climbing through 3,000 feet, the crew transmitted the distress call.

Airport emergency personnel, including firefighters, rescue teams and medical staff, were immediately alerted and placed on standby ahead of the aircraft’s return.

At about 4:29 pm UTC, the crew contacted the Abuja control tower and asked whether controllers could establish if the door was open.

The duty air traffic controller attempted to inspect the aircraft with binoculars but could not determine the door’s condition because of the aircraft’s position. The crew was informed that the visual inspection had been inconclusive.

The aircraft subsequently returned to Abuja and landed safely on Runway 22 at approximately 4:34 pm UTC, about 14 minutes after the Mayday call.

Following the landing, the duty controller observed that the door was missing from the aircraft’s fuselage, confirming that a significant part of the aircraft’s exterior had become detached during the flight.

The jet was later taxied to the international apron extension and parked with the assistance of a marshaller.

In a separate development, a video obtained by PUNCH reportedly showed the missing door after it was recovered by farmers from a farm in the Abuja area.

In the footage, a man whose identity was not established said the farmers found the object while returning from their farm. He explained that they believed it had fallen from an aircraft but did not know which plane it belonged to.

The number of passengers aboard the aircraft had not been confirmed as of the time the report was filed.

The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) confirmed that the incident had occurred. Its Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu, said the matter fell under the responsibility of the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) and declined to comment further.

Although the NSIB had not issued an official statement at the time of reporting, a source within the agency told PUNCH that investigators had been deployed and that an official update would follow.

Triton Aviation could not be reached for comment before the report was published.

The cause of the door detachment remains unknown. Investigators are expected to establish what happened, examine the aircraft and determine whether a mechanical fault, structural problem or another factor contributed to the incident.

The safe landing prevented a potentially more serious outcome, but the incident raises important questions about aircraft maintenance, airworthiness and the circumstances that led to the door becoming detached during flight.