‘Aircraft door detaches mid-flight during crew check’ - Punch Newspapers

The Nigeria Safety Investigation Bureau has revealed that the door of a private jet with registration number T7-SEI and flight identification DWC052, which detached from the aircraft mid-air in October, actually flew open when a crew member attempted to recheck whether it was properly closed, following an instruction from the pilot. This was contained in a preliminary report released by the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau on Thursday, which detailed how the flight crew scrambled to manage the situation and declared an emergency. Recall that the aircraft, which was headed to Lagos from Abuja, was forced to declare emergency and immediately engaged in an air returned before landing at the Abuja airport. In a video sighted by The PUNCH, the separated   door, was reportedly recovered by farmers from a farm in the Abuja area. According to the report, trouble began during the aircraft’s initial climb when the Pilot Monitoring observed an unusually rapid increase in cabin altitude at approximately 4,000 feet per minute. Suspecting a pressurisation problem, the captain instructed the pilot to reduce the aircraft’s rate of climb in an attempt to address the situation.Make PUNCH part of your everyday experience.Add us to your Preferred Sources According to the report, the development caused the pilot to suspect that the aircraft door may not be properly closed. The reported further noted 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. 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 scary development, 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 added. 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, at the controller reported that the aircraft was nine nautical miles north of the airfield at POKMO and cleared for an Instrument Landing System. “The crew was also instructed to report when established on the approach.” Olasunkanmi Akinlotan Akinlotan is a journalist at Punch Newspapers with over eight years of experience reporting on politics, social justice, motoring, railways, and aviation. His work focuses on accountability, public interest, and social change, producing stories that inspire reform and amplify underrepresented voices. Akinlotan’s reporting reflects extensive newsroom experience, editorial insight, and a strong commitment to accurate, impact-driven journalism.

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