Private jet door f∆lls off mid-flight during crew check — NSIB
Private jet door falls off mid-flight during crew check — NSIB
The Nigeria Safety Investigation Bureau has revealed that the door of a private jet with registration number T7-SEI and flight identification DWC052 detached mid-air in October after a crew member attempted to recheck whether it was properly secured, following an instruction from the pilot.
This was contained in a preliminary report released by the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau on Thursday, detailing how the flight crew scrambled to manage the situation and declared an emergency.
The aircraft, which was travelling from Abuja to Lagos, was forced to declare an emergency and immediately made an air return before landing at the Abuja airport.
In a video sighted by The PUNCH, the detached door was reportedly recovered by farmers from a farmland in the Abuja area.
According to the report, the incident began during the aircraft’s initial climb when the Pilot Monitoring observed an unusually rapid increase in cabin altitude of approximately 4,000 feet per minute.
Suspecting a pressurisation problem, the captain instructed the Pilot Flying to reduce the aircraft’s rate of climb in an attempt to address the situation.
The report further stated that the development prompted the captain to suspect that the aircraft’s door might not have been properly secured.
It added that, “At about 17:19:07, the captain instructed the cabin crew to double-check the door”, warning that the cabin altitude increase was unusually high.
The cabin crew member initially inspected the passenger-crew door from her seated position and reported that it appeared to be properly closed, with the green indicator band aligned.
However, the pilot was not satisfied with the initial check and asked her “to stand up and take a closer look.”
As the cabin crew member approached the door for a closer inspection, it suddenly opened and detached from the aircraft.
The NSIB report stated that the captain “immediately took control of the aircraft following the occurrence, while the First Officer took over the Pilot Monitoring duties.”
Following the incident, the flight crew immediately alerted air traffic control.
“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 also informed Abuja Radar Control that the aircraft’s door was open.
Abuja Radar Control acknowledged the emergency at 17:19:51, responding, “Door opened copied, MAYDAY copied, confirm able to turn right now.”
At 17:20:20, the flight crew confirmed that the aircraft could turn right and requested a heading and altitude.
Radar Control subsequently approved a northbound heading, which the pilot acknowledged.
The pilot later sought clearance to commence an approach, contacting Abuja Radar Control at 17:25:35 to confirm whether they could proceed.
Two seconds later, the controller reported that the aircraft was nine nautical miles north of the airfield, at POKMO, and cleared it for an Instrument Landing System approach.
The crew was also instructed to report when established on the approach.
