A private jet operated by Triton Aviation made an emergency landing at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on Thursday after losing a door shortly after take-off, prompting the crew to issue a Mayday distress call.

The aircraft, identified by registration number T7-SEI and flight code DWC052, was heading to the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, when the incident occurred at about 4:20 pm.

An incident report obtained on Thursday indicated that the aircraft had departed Abuja’s Runway 22 at 4:17 pm UTC when the crew reported that a door had opened during flight.

According to the report, the aircraft was approximately three nautical miles from the airport and climbing through 3,000 feet when the crew issued the distress call, prompting air traffic controllers to direct it back to Abuja for an emergency landing.

Airport fire and rescue personnel, emergency responders and medical teams were immediately alerted and placed on standby in preparation for the aircraft’s return.

The report stated that at about 4:29 pm UTC, the crew asked the control tower to establish whether the door was open. However, the duty air traffic controller, who attempted to inspect the aircraft with binoculars, could not determine its condition because of the aircraft’s position.

The jet eventually touched down safely on Runway 22 at approximately 4:34 pm UTC, about 14 minutes after the Mayday call.

Following the landing, the duty controller observed that the door was missing from the aircraft’s fuselage. The jet was subsequently moved to the international apron extension and parked with the assistance of a marshaller.

A video obtained after the incident showed what was reportedly the missing aircraft door, said to have been recovered by farmers from a farm in the Abuja area.

In the footage, a man who did not identify himself said the farmers discovered the object while returning from their farm and sought assistance in identifying it.

The number of passengers aboard the aircraft had yet to be confirmed as of the time of filing this report.

The Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, Michael Achimugu, confirmed the incident but said the agency could not comment because the matter fell under the jurisdiction of the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau.

Although the NSIB had not issued an official statement at the time of filing this report, a source within the agency said its management had deployed investigators to examine the incident.

The source added that an official statement would be released in due course.

Triton Aviation, the aircraft’s operator, could not be reached for comment as of the time of filing this report.