A private jet travelling from Abuja to Lagos was forced to make an emergency return after its door suddenly opened and detached mid-air while a cabin crew member was attempting to check whether it was properly secured.
The Nigeria Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) disclosed this in a preliminary report released on Thursday, detailing the frightening October incident involving an aircraft with registration number T7-SEI and flight identification DWC052.
According to the report, the drama began during the aircraft’s initial climb when the Pilot Monitoring noticed that cabin altitude was rising unusually fast, at approximately 4,000 feet per minute.
Suspecting a pressurisation problem, the captain instructed the Pilot Flying to reduce the rate of climb.
The captain subsequently suspected that the aircraft’s door might not have been properly secured and directed a cabin crew member to inspect it.
The crew member initially checked the passenger-crew door from her seated position and reported that it appeared properly closed, with its green indicator band aligned.
However, the captain was not satisfied and asked her to stand up and take a closer look.
But as she approached the door for a closer inspection, it suddenly swung open and detached from the aircraft.
Following the incident, the captain immediately took control of the aircraft, while the First Officer assumed the Pilot Monitoring duties.
The crew also raised the alarm with air traffic controllers, declaring a full emergency.
“At 17:19:20, DWC052 declared an emergency over the radio, repeatedly transmitting the internationally recognised distress call: MAYDAY, MAYDAY, MAYDAY,” the NSIB report stated.
The pilots also informed Abuja Radar Control that the aircraft’s door had opened.
At 17:19:51, the controller acknowledged the emergency and sought confirmation that the aircraft could turn right.
The crew confirmed that it could manoeuvre and requested a heading and altitude, after which Radar Control approved a northbound heading.
At 17:25:35, the pilots contacted the controller to seek clearance for an approach.
Two seconds later, they were informed that the aircraft was nine nautical miles north of the airfield, around POKMO, and were cleared for an Instrument Landing System approach.
The crew was subsequently instructed to report when established on the approach.
The aircraft eventually made an air return and landed safely at Abuja airport.
Meanwhile, the detached door was reportedly recovered by farmers from a farmland in the Abuja area.
