ABUJA — The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has officially commenced an investigation into an aviation incident involving a foreign-registered Challenger 604 private aircraft that lost its door mid-air shortly after taking off from Abuja.
The aircraft, bearing registration number T7-SEI and operated by Triton Aviation, was en route to Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, when the emergency occurred.
According to official details released by the bureau, the jet departed the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, at 16:12 UTC. Approximately three nautical miles from the airport while climbing through 3,500 feet, the flight crew declared a ‘Mayday’ distress call after the door separated from the airframe mid-flight.
Following the emergency declaration, airport fire, rescue, and medical personnel were immediately placed on standby at the Abuja airport. The crew safely executed a turn-back and landed the aircraft on Runway 22 at 16:34 UTC. All nine occupants on board—comprising six passengers and three crew members—were reported safe and uninjured.
In a statement signed by NSIB Director-General and CEO, Alex Badeh Jr., the bureau confirmed that emergency response teams and local residents helped locate the detached door, which has now been recovered and secured at the NSIB wreckage hangar for technical analysis.
“The Bureau has commenced its investigation to establish the immediate and remote circumstances surrounding the door separation. Further updates will be provided as safety inspectors progress with the technical evaluation,” the NSIB stated.
The aircraft is registered in San Marino. NSIB technical investigators are expected to examine maintenance logs, door latching mechanisms, and operational procedures to determine the root cause of the failure.
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