What happened
On June 27, 2024, at 11:45 CDT, a Cessna 310R, registration N5080J, was involved in an accident near Duluth, Minnesota. The flight was being operated under 14 CFR Part 91 for the purpose of testing recent adjustments made to the aircraft's onboard avionics equipment.
The flight originated from Richard I. Bong airport (SUW). After flying to Duluth International Airport (DLH), the pilot performed an instrument landing system approach for runway 9 and came to a stop on the runway as directed by air traffic control. Following a brief period on the runway, the pilot received takeoff clearance to return to SUW.
During the takeoff roll, the aircraft rolled to the left only seconds after rotation. The pilot attempted to correct the roll using rudder and aileron inputs, but the airplane settled into the ground in a near-level attitude north of runway 9. The impact caused the nose landing gear and the right main landing gear to collapse, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage and the right wing. The pilot was not injured.