Hope Ajayi 
ABUJA, Nigeria – The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has launched an investigation after a door detached from a private jet shortly after take-off from Abuja, forcing the aircraft to declare an emergency and return safely to the airport.
The Bombardier Challenger 604, operated by Triton Aviation and registered as T7-SEI, was operating flight DWC052 from Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, to Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, on Thursday, 15 October 2026.
According to the NSIB, the aircraft was approximately three nautical miles from the airport and climbing through 3,500 feet when its crew issued a Mayday call after the door separated from the aircraft.
The pilots turned back and landed safely on Runway 22 in Abuja at 16:34 UTC. All nine people on board—three crew members and six passengers—were accounted for, with no injuries reported in the information provided by the bureau. Airport emergency personnel, including fire and medical teams, had been alerted to stand by as air traffic controllers coordinated the aircraft’s return.
In a statement released on Friday, NSIB Director-General and Chief Executive Officer, Captain Alex Badeh Jr., confirmed that investigators had located and secured the detached door at the bureau’s wreckage hangar.
The door was reportedly discovered on farmland in the Abuja area before being recovered by the investigation team. The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority acknowledged the incident but directed further enquiries to the NSIB, which is responsible for investigating aviation accidents and serious incidents.
Investigators are expected to examine the recovered door and other available evidence to establish the circumstances surrounding the separation. No official cause has been announced. The NSIB said it would provide further updates as the investigation progresses.
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Mirian Gom 
