A private Bombardier Challenger 604 business jet was forced into an emergency landing on Thursday, October 15, 2026, after losing an aircraft door mid-flight shortly after departing from Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, Nigeria. All nine people on board landed safely without injuries.
Flight Departure and Emergency Declaration at 1,070 Meters
The aircraft, operated by Triton Aviation under registration number T7-SEI and flight identification DWC052, took off from Abuja at approximately 4:20 p.m. local time en route to Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos. Just 22 minutes into the journey, while at 1,070 meters of altitude, the flight crew alerted air traffic control after a door detached from the aircraft.
WATCH: A Bombardier Challenger 604 Lands Safely In Abuja After Cabin Door Detaches During Takeoff pic.twitter.com/ZzGkHRHpVO
— https://x.com/Breaking911/status/2111104337740992639
The approach radar controller directed the twin-engine private jet back to its departure airport. Airport emergency personnel, fire crews, and medical teams deployed to the tarmac to await the aircraft’s return.
Emergency Landing and Discovery of the Detached Door
The Bombardier Challenger 604 touched down safely back at Abuja airport. The flight carried nine occupants total, consisting of six passengers and three crew members, all of whom escaped uninjured.
Farmers operating on the outskirts of Abuja subsequently discovered the missing aircraft door scattered among local fields. Video footage of the recovered piece circulated online shortly after the incident. The Director General of the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) confirmed that the door is now kept in a dedicated wreckage hangar for formal examination.
Ownership Details and the Pending NSIB Safety Investigation
The aircraft involved is a private twin-engine business jet registered in the Republic of San Marino. According to reports from the platform SaharaReporters, the jet belongs to Kola Karim, chairman of the board of directors of Shoreline Natural Resources Limited.
The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau announced a formal safety investigation to determine the dynamics of the incident and the circumstances related to the loss of the door. Investigators have not yet released information regarding how the door detached, nor which specific door it is.