The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has begun an investigation into an incident involving a foreign-registered aircraft operated by Triton Aviation after the airline’s crew reported that a door of the aircraft opened mid-air shortly after taking off from Abuja on Thursday.
The Challenger 604 aircraft, with registration number T7-SEI, departed the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport on Thursday for Lagos.
It was about three nautical miles from the airport, climbing through 3,500 feet, when its crew declared a Mayday emergency, according to the NSIB.
The aircraft returned to Abuja and landed safely on Runway 22 at 16:34 Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), with nine people on board, comprising three crew members and six passengers.
In a statement issued Friday and signed by its director-general and CEO, Alex Badeh Jr., the NSIB said it recovered the missing door and secured it at its wreckage hangar.
“The bureau has commenced its investigation to establish the circumstances surrounding the occurrence,” the statement said.
PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that the aircraft’s crew declared a Mayday emergency after reporting that a door had opened during flight shortly after take-off.
Airport fire, rescue personnel and medical teams were placed on standby while air traffic controllers directed the aircraft back to Abuja.
The aircraft landed safely, and the air traffic controller subsequently observed that the door was missing from the fuselage.
A video circulating on social media also appears to show the missing door. In the footage, an unidentified man said farmers had found the object while returning from their farm in the Abuja area.
The NSIB said its investigation will establish the circumstances surrounding the incident, including what caused the door to detach and the sequence of events during the flight.
The aircraft is registered in San Marino, a small European country surrounded by Italy, according to the NSIB statement.
The bureau said it will provide further updates as the investigation progresses.
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