N5080JCessna 310R · 1975

On June 27, 2024, at 1145 central daylight time, a Cessna 310R airplane, N5080J, sustained substantial damage when it was involved in an accident near Duluth, Minnesota. The pilot was not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.

The pilot reported that the flight was to conduct testing of adjustments made to the airplane’s avionics equipment. He departed the Richard I. Bong Airport (SUW), Superior, Wisconsin, and flew the airplane to Duluth International Airport (DLH), Duluth, Minnesota. He executed the runway 9 ILS approach and stopped on the runway, as instructed by air traffic control. After a brief wait on the runway, he received takeoff clearance to return to SUW. During the takeoff, seconds after rotation, the airplane rolled to the left, and the pilot was unable to regain airplane control using aileron and rudder inputs. The airplane settled into the ground in a near-level attitude north of runway 9. During the impact sequence, the nose landing gear and right main landing gear collapsed, which resulted in substantial damage to the right wing and fuselage.

Examination of the airplane after the accident revealed that the rubber accordion coupling in the induction system on the left engine between the engine and fuel control was split. The printed information on the coupling indicated that it was part number 641551 and was manufactured in the second quarter of 2014. Review of maintenance information did not reveal a recommended replacement interval. Review of the airplane’s maintenance records indicated that the left engine was overhauled and installed on the airplane on July 1, 2015. No maintenance entry indicating replacement of the coupling was found. No other anomaly was discovered that would have prevented normal operation.