Private Jet Door Detached Mid-Air After Pilot Ordered Crew Member to Recheck Locking, NSIB Reveals

The Nigeria Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has revealed that the door of a private jet detached mid-air in October after a crew member attempted to recheck whether it was properly secured following an instruction from the pilot.

The incident involved a private aircraft with registration number T7-SEI and flight identification DWC052, which was travelling from Abuja to Lagos when the emergency occurred.

According to a preliminary report released by the NSIB on Thursday, the flight crew noticed an unusual increase in cabin altitude during the aircraft’s initial climb, prompting concerns about a possible pressurisation problem.

The development forced the crew to declare an emergency and return to Abuja, where the aircraft subsequently landed.

The report detailed how the flight crew responded to the situation and coordinated with air traffic controllers to facilitate an emergency landing.

It stated that the incident began when the Pilot Monitoring observed an unusually rapid increase in cabin altitude of approximately 4,000 feet per minute.

Suspecting a pressurisation issue, the captain instructed the Pilot Flying to reduce the aircraft’s rate of climb in an attempt to address the problem.

The captain subsequently suspected that the aircraft’s door might not have been properly secured and instructed a cabin crew member to inspect it.

The report stated that at approximately 17:19:07, the captain directed the cabin crew member to double-check the door because of the unusually high cabin altitude increase.

The crew member initially inspected the passenger-crew door from her seated position and reported that it appeared properly closed, with the green indicator band aligned.

However, the captain was not satisfied with the initial inspection and instructed her to stand up and examine the door more closely.

As the crew member approached the door, it suddenly opened and detached from the aircraft.

Following the incident, the captain immediately took control of the aircraft, while the First Officer assumed the Pilot Monitoring responsibilities.

The flight crew also contacted air traffic control and declared an emergency.

According to the NSIB report, the aircraft transmitted the internationally recognised distress call three times.

“At 17:19:20, DWC052 declared an emergency over the radio, repeatedly transmitting the internationally recognised distress call: MAYDAY, MAYDAY, MAYDAY,” the report stated.

The crew subsequently informed Abuja Radar Control that the aircraft’s door had opened.

At approximately 17:19:51, the air traffic controller acknowledged the emergency, confirming receipt of the distress call and asking whether the aircraft could make a right turn.

The crew confirmed at 17:20:20 that it could turn right and requested a heading and altitude from the controller.

Abuja Radar Control subsequently approved a northbound heading, which the pilot acknowledged.

The crew later requested clearance to commence an approach, contacting Abuja Radar Control at approximately 17:25:35.

Two seconds later, the controller informed the aircraft that it was nine nautical miles north of the airfield, around POKMO, and cleared it for an Instrument Landing System approach.

The crew was also instructed to report when established on the approach.

Meanwhile, footage obtained by The PUNCH reportedly showed the detached aircraft door after it was recovered by farmers from farmland in the Abuja area.

The NSIB’s preliminary findings provide details of the sequence of events that led to the door detaching and the crew’s response to the resulting emergency.