The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has recovered the detached passenger-crew door of a Bombardier Challenger 604 aircraft from a cornfield in Gui Village, Abuja, following an in-flight emergency that forced the jet to return shortly after take-off.
The recovery was disclosed in the Bureau’s preliminary report on the October 15, 2026 occurrence involving the Triton Aviation Limited-operated aircraft, registered T7-SEI. The door was found in Gui Village, within the Abuja Municipal Area Council, approximately five miles southwest of Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport.
The aircraft was operating a non-scheduled flight, DWC052, from Abuja to Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, with nine people on board: two flight crew members, one cabin crew member and six passengers.
According to the report, at about 17:19 local time during the initial climb, the flight crew noticed an abnormal increase in cabin altitude, raising concerns about a possible pressurisation problem.
The captain instructed the cabin crew member to inspect the main cabin door. However, as the attendant approached the passenger-crew door to check its seal, it opened and detached completely from the aircraft.
The flight crew declared an emergency and contacted Abuja Air Traffic Control to arrange an immediate return to the airport. The aircraft landed on Runway 22 at approximately 17:34, about 15 minutes after the abnormal cabin altitude indication was observed.
All nine occupants evacuated safely without injuries, although the aircraft sustained substantial damage.
Following notification of the occurrence on the day it happened, the NSIB deployed investigators to conduct post-occurrence assessments and search for the missing door. The component was subsequently located and recovered from the Gui Village cornfield.
The preliminary report, signed by NSIB Director General, Captain Alex Badeh Jr., presents factual information and initial findings established during the investigation, alongside immediate safety recommendations arising from issues identified so far.
The Bureau stressed that the report does not assign blame or establish the cause of the door separation, noting that analysis of the evidence and determination of any contributing factors remain part of the ongoing investigation.
It said a final report containing its analysis, conclusions and any additional safety recommendations would be published upon completion of the investigation, in accordance with Annex 13 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation.
