Get Guardian on GoogleThe Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has said that the sole cabin crew member aboard the Bombardier Challenger 604 aircraft serious incident of October 15, 2026, operated by Triton Aviation Limited lacked valid medical certificate at the time of the occurrence.
NSIB has therefore recommended to the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to immediately strengthen its safety oversight of Permit for Non-Commercial Flight (PNCF) holders that engage cabin crew members to perform safety-related duties.
These were contained in the NSIB’s preliminary report on the serious incident, which occurred in Abuja.
The main cabin door of the aircraft with the registration number: T7-SEI and flight identification DWC052, had detached during a flight out of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja to the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos.
The detached door was later recovered from a cornfield in Gui village, approximately five miles southwest of the airport.
The report also urged Triton Aviation to ensure that all crew members scheduled for flight operations meet applicable regulatory requirements for licensing, qualifications and competency to perform their assigned safety and emergency responsibilities.
The report stated that there were nine persons on board of the aircraft as of the time of the incident, comprising two flight crew members, one cabin crew member and six passengers.
The preliminary report also stated that all occupants escaped uninjured after the aircraft made an emergency return to Abuja.
The report read in part: “The incident occurred shortly after the aircraft departed Abuja at about 5.17 p.m. During the initial climb, the captain observed an abnormal increase in cabin altitude of approximately 4,000 feet per minute, raising concerns about a possible cabin pressurisation problem.
“The captain subsequently instructed the cabin crew member to double-check the main cabin door, initially asking her to inspect it from her seated position before directing her to take a closer look.
“However, as the cabin crew member approached the door, it suddenly opened and subsequently detached from the aircraft.
“The flight crew declared an emergency at 5.19 p.m., transmitting a MAYDAY call to Abuja Radar Control and reporting that the aircraft’s door was open.”
At this report, the report stated that the captain immediately took over control of the aircraft, while the first officer assumed the pilot-monitoring responsibilities.
It added that following coordination with air traffic controllers, the aircraft was cleared to make an emergency return to Abuja, where it landed safely on Runway 22 at approximately 5.34 p.m, while the passengers and crew members subsequently disembarked using an improvised ladder.
According to the report, NSIB’s initial examination revealed that the door indicator displayed an unlocked/red warning, while both the external and internal door handles were found in the open position, adding that all the door-locking mechanisms were also found in the open position.
The report, however, said that the aircraft had a valid Certificate of Airworthiness, Permit for Non-Commercial Flight, Flight Operations Clearance Certificate and Maintenance Clearance Certificate.
The bureau emphasised that investigation was ongoing on the serious incident.
Further investigations would include metallurgical testing and detailed examination of the detached door, its assemblies and locking mechanisms to establish whether structural or mechanical failure contributed to the incident.
