NSIB: AIRCRAFT DOOR INDICATOR SHOWED UNLOCKED WARNING BEFORE INCIDENT
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By ‘Balogun Ibrahim
The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has revealed that all locking mechanisms on the passenger-cabin door of a Bombardier Challenger 604 aircraft that detached mid-air during an Abuja-Lagos flight were found in the open position after the incident.
The bureau also disclosed that the aircraft’s door indicator displayed an ‘UNLOCKED/RED’ warning, while both the internal and external door handles were found open.
The findings were contained in the preliminary investigation report published on the NSIB website on November 11, following the October 15 incident involving an aircraft operated by Triton Aviation Limited.
The aircraft, with registration number T7-SEI and operating as flight DWC052, was carrying nine people, including two pilots, a cabin crew member and six passengers, when its passenger-crew door detached during the initial climb after take-off from the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
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However, the flight crew told investigators that they received neither an audible nor visual warning indicating a problem with the door before it separated from the aircraft.
The bureau further stated that no door-related faults or warnings were recorded in the aircraft’s downloaded Maintenance Diagnostic Computer data.
According to the report, the incident occurred at about 5:19 p.m. when the pilots noticed an unusual increase in cabin altitude and suspected a pressurisation problem.
The captain subsequently instructed the cabin crew member to check the main cabin door by pushing and pulling it.
However, the crew member told investigators that as she approached the passenger-crew door, it opened on its own without her touching it.
Some passengers also reportedly said they could not remember seeing the cabin crew member make contact with the door.
The door subsequently detached from the aircraft and struck its lower fuselage, damaging a VHF antenna.
Following the incident, the captain took control of the aircraft, while the first officer assumed pilot-monitoring responsibilities.
The pilots declared an emergency and contacted Abuja Air Traffic Control to arrange an immediate return to the airport.
The aircraft eventually landed safely on Runway 22 at approximately 5:34 p.m., with all nine occupants disembarking without injuries.
The report also disclosed that during the final approach, the pilot monitoring unfastened his seat belt and attempted to close the passenger-crew door by pressing the DOOR CLOSE button.
The detached door was later recovered from a cornfield in Gui Village, Abuja Municipal Area Council, about five miles southwest of the airport.
Meanwhile, the NSIB said further investigations would focus on establishing whether structural or mechanical failures contributed to the door separation.
It identified metallurgical testing and a detailed examination of the detached door, its associated assemblies and locking mechanisms as part of the next stages of the investigation.
Investigators will also conduct an extensive analysis of the Flight Data Recorder (FDR), particularly the parameters relating to the passenger-crew door warning and indication systems.
The Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) will equally undergo further examination, including a spectral analysis of a recorded mechanical clicking sound to determine its source.
Other areas of investigation include the door-warning and indication system, associated electrical circuits and their operational condition at the time of the incident.
However, the NSIB cautioned that the preliminary report contains only factual information and initial findings, stressing that it does not establish the causes or contributing factors responsible for the incident.
The bureau said the final report, which will contain the investigation’s analysis, conclusions and additional safety recommendations, would be released upon completion of the investigation in line with Annex 13 of the Convention on International Civil Aviation.
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