Summary
On June 27, 2024, a Cessna 310R (N5080J) was involved in an incident near Duluth, MN. All 1 person aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
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 (CFR) Part 91 personal flight. The pilot reported that the flight was to conduct testing of adjustments made to avionics equipment on-board the airplane. He departed the Richard I. Bong airport (SUW) and flew the airplane to the Duluth International Airport (DLH). He executed the runway 9 instrument landing system 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.
This incident is documented in NTSB report CEN24LA242. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N5080J.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The failure of the left engine induction coupling during takeoff, which resulted in a total loss of left engine power and an uncommanded left yaw/roll due to asymmetrical thrust and increased drag, from which the pilot had insufficient altitude to recover control of the airplane.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Current)
Analysis
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.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# CEN24LA242