NSIB Probes Triton Jet After Door Separates Mid-Air

The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has launched an investigation into an aviation incident involving a Challenger 604 aircraft operated by Triton after its door reportedly separated shortly after take off from Abuja.

The aircraft, with registration number T7-SEI, was heading to Lagos when its crew declared an emergency at about 3,500 feet above sea level, approximately three nautical miles after departure.

In a statement signed by its Director-General, Capt. Alex Badeh Jnr., the Bureau said the aircraft took off from Abuja at 16:12 UTC on Thursday but was forced to turn back following the incident.

According to the NSIB, the crew issued a “Mayday” distress call, the internationally recognised emergency declaration used by pilots to indicate a serious and immediate threat requiring urgent assistance.

The aircraft subsequently returned to Abuja and landed safely on Runway 22 at approximately 16:34 UTC, with all nine occupants accounted for. Those on board comprised three crew members and six passengers.

The Bureau disclosed that the separated aircraft door had been recovered and secured at its wreckage hangar as part of the ongoing investigation.

It said investigators had commenced work to establish the circumstances surrounding the occurrence, adding that further information would be made available as the inquiry progresses.

The investigation comes under the NSIB’s mandate to examine transportation accidents and serious incidents, including aviation occurrences, to determine their causes and identify measures that could prevent similar events.

Unlike regulatory enforcement inquiries, safety investigations conducted by the Bureau are primarily intended to establish what happened and make safety recommendations, rather than apportion blame or legal liability.

The NSIB said it would provide updates as more findings emerge from the investigation.