Panic As Private Jet Loses Door Mid-Aar, Makes Emergency Landing In Abuja

A private jet operated by Triton Aviation on Thursday made an emergency landing at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, after losing a door mid-air shortly after take-off.

The aircraft, identified as a CL60 with registration number T7SEI, declared a MAYDAY emergency about three nautical miles after departing Abuja for the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.

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According to an incident report dated October 15, 2026, the aircraft took off from Abuja at 4:17 p.m. UTC via Runway 22 and was passing 3,000 feet when the crew made the distress call.

The report indicated that the aircraft had an open-door problem in flight, prompting air traffic controllers to direct it back to Abuja for an emergency landing.

Following the distress call, the airport’s fire watch room and medical team were alerted at 4:22 p.m. UTC and placed on standby as a precautionary measure.

The fire response team was also instructed to position its equipment at access points A4 and A5 in preparation for the aircraft’s return.

At about 4:29 p.m. UTC, the crew contacted Abuja Tower and asked air traffic controllers whether they could see the aircraft’s open door.

The duty air traffic controller attempted to inspect the aircraft using binoculars but could not confirm the door’s condition because of the aircraft’s position. The crew was subsequently informed of the observation.

The aircraft landed safely on Runway 22 at 4:34 p.m. UTC. However, after landing, the duty air traffic controller observed that the door was missing from the aircraft’s fuselage.

The aircraft was subsequently taxied to the international apron extension, where it was parked with the assistance of a marshaller at about 4:40 p.m. UTC.

The report did not indicate whether anyone was injured or establish the circumstances surrounding the loss of the door.

Further details on the cause of the incident and any subsequent investigation were not provided in the report.