A Triton Aviation Challenger 604 touched down on Runway 22 at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja on Thursday, October 15, after a door tore away from the fuselage during ascent. The aircraft, which had departed for Lagos, was just three nautical miles from the runway and climbing through 3,500 feet when the crew issued a Mayday distress call.
The pilots initially reported that a door had opened but were uncertain if it remained attached. They turned the jet around immediately. Emergency services stood by on the tarmac as the aircraft landed. All nine people on board escaped unharmed.
The missing door was later recovered from a nearby farmland. It is now resting in the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau's (NISB) wreckage hangar for a forensic examination. Video footage circulating online shows locals examining the detached component, which looks like a massive, jagged piece of metal.
NISB Director-General Captain Alex Badeh Jr. confirmed that the investigation is underway to determine the root cause. Investigators are currently weighing the possibility of a mechanical failure against a maintenance issue. No definitive cause has been established yet.
The NISB will release its preliminary findings in the coming weeks, with a final report expected after the structural analysis of the door and the aircraft's maintenance logs is complete.