NSIB RELEASES PRELIMINARY REPORT ON ABUJA AIRCRAFT DOOR SEPARATION INCIDENT
Oru Leonard
The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has released its preliminary investigation report on the in-flight separation of a passenger-cabin door involving a Bombardier Challenger 604 aircraft operated by Triton Aviation Limited in Abuja.
The incident occurred on October 15, 2026, during the initial climb of the aircraft, registered T7-SEI, shortly after take-off from the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on a non-scheduled flight to the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
According to the NSIB, the aircraft, operating as flight DWC052, had nine persons on board, comprising two flight crew members, one cabin crew member and six passengers.
The Bureau disclosed that at approximately 5:19 p.m. local time, the flight crew noticed an abnormal increase in cabin altitude, raising concerns about a possible pressurisation problem.
The captain subsequently instructed the cabin crew to inspect the main cabin door. However, as the cabin crew approached the passenger-crew door for inspection, the door opened and detached from the aircraft.
Following the development, the flight crew declared an emergency and contacted Abuja Air Traffic Control (ATC), requesting immediate clearance to return to the airport.
The aircraft subsequently landed safely on Runway 22 at approximately 5:34 p.m., with all nine occupants disembarking without injuries. However, the aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The NSIB said it deployed investigators to the scene immediately after receiving notification of the occurrence on the same day to search for and recover the detached door and conduct post-occurrence assessments.
The detached door was later recovered from a cornfield in Gui Village, within the Abuja Municipal Area Council, approximately five miles southwest of the airport.
In releasing the preliminary report, the Bureau explained that the document contains factual information established so far, including initial findings based on available evidence and immediate safety recommendations arising from safety concerns identified during the investigation.
It, however, emphasised that the preliminary report does not contain analysis or conclusions on the causes or contributing factors responsible for the incident, as investigations are still ongoing.
According to the Bureau, a comprehensive final report containing its analysis, conclusions and additional safety recommendations, where necessary, will be published upon completion of the investigation.
The NSIB stated that the investigation is being conducted in accordance with Annex 13 of the Convention on International Civil Aviation.
The preliminary report is available for public and media access on the Bureau’s official website.
The Director General and Chief Executive Officer of NSIB, Captain Alex Badeh Jr., signed the statement announcing the release.
The Bureau is Nigeria’s multimodal transport safety investigation agency, mandated to conduct objective and comprehensive investigations into transport accidents and incidents to identify probable causes and recommend measures to improve safety across the transport sector.
