BY OLAPEJU OLUBI
The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has commenced an investigation into an incident involving a Challenger 604 aircraft operated by Triton after its door separated from the aircraft shortly after take-off from Abuja.
The aircraft, with registration number T7-SEI, departed Abuja for Lagos yesterday, 15 October 2026, at 1612 UTC when the crew declared an emergency after the door separated at an altitude of about 3,500 feet.
According to a statement issued by the NSIB on Friday, the Director General and Chief Executive Officer of the NSIB, Captain Alex Badeh Jr, the aircraft departed Abuja at 1612 UTC but had to return to the airport following the incident.
The crew declared a mayday, an internationally recognised distress call used by pilots to indicate a serious emergency requiring immediate assistance.
The aircraft subsequently landed safely on Runway 22 at the Abuja airport at 1634 UTC, about 22 minutes after departure.
All nine persons on board, comprising three crew members and six passengers, were reported to have been on the aircraft when it returned safely to the airport.
The NSIB said the detached door had been recovered and secured at its wreckage hangar as the investigation got underway.
The Bureau said the investigation would establish the circumstances surrounding the incident, although it did not provide further details on what caused the door to separate from the aircraft.
It added that further updates would be provided as the investigation progressed.
Olapeju is a journalist and aviation reporter.
