Date:	Sunday 17 January 2021
Time:	14:00 LT
Type:	Cessna 310Q
Owner/operator:	Southern Aircraft Consultancy Inc Trustee
Registration:	N25XL
MSN:	310Q1076
Year of manufacture:	1974
Engine model:	TCM 10-470-VO
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Substantial
Category:	Accident
Location:	Belfast International Airport (BFS/EGAA) -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Taxi
Nature:	Private
Departure airport:	Belfast International Airport (BFS/EGAA)
Destination airport:	Belfast International Airport (BFS/EGAA)
Investigating agency:	AAIB
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
On 17 January 2021, Cessna 310Q N25XL landed on runway 25 at Belfast International Airport, and was taxiing off the runway when the right side landing gear collapsed. The wing and engine made contact with the ground. No one on board was injured, and the airports operations were not disrupted.

UPDATE:
The AAIB Final Report into the incident was published on 8 July 2021, and the following is the summary from the report...

"AAIB investigation to Cessna 310Q, N25XL: Right main gear collapsed on landing, Belfast International Airport, 17 January 2021.

The pilot intended to fly some circuits to maintain recency and to conduct engine health checks. On the first landing the aircraft suddenly veered to the right and came to rest on the grass beside the runway. The pilot was uninjured and reported the landing was normal, and during approach the three green lights, indicating the landing gear was down and locked, were illuminated.

The AAIB did not attend, but the aircraft was later examined by a licenced engineer. It was identified that the right landing gear torque tube had failed in torsion. This torque tube should not have been carrying any load once the gear was locked down. Further examination revealed the landing gear had visible corrosion and an apparent lack of adequate lubrication of the pivot joints. An Annual/100-hour inspection had been completed on 30 September 2020, 3½ months earlier, which included an inspection of the landing gear.

The AAIB has previously reported on other similar events to this type of aircraft where lack of lubrication and/or freedom of movement of the landing gear mechanism pivot joints was a factor.

=Damage Sustained to Airframe=
Per the above AAIB Report "Substantial damage to aircraft and minor scrape damage to runway surface and runway edge lighting". In addition, the US Federal Aviation Administration database (see link #5) noted that the registration of this 1974 built aircraft was cancelled on "05/11/2021" (May 11 2021), so it is possible that Cessna 310Q N25XL may be a write off and "damaged beyond economic repair"

1. AAIB Final Report: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/60c22a45e90e0743934f6a7c/Cessna_310Q_N25XL_07-21.pdf
2. https://news.causewaycoastcommunity.co.uk/ni-news/landing-gear-collapse-at-belfast-international-airport/?fbclid=IwAR0BJphv04OpdO3LPt7U7Ovx6hYbw8oZIf3nYBgLMEujsXgPdM0gZFjMnMw
3. https://www.belfastlive.co.uk/news/belfast-news/belfast-international-airport-incident-light-19643489
4. https://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/people/pilot-not-injured-after-light-aircraft-failure-at-ni-airport-3103490
5. https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/aircraft-makes-emergency-landing-at-belfast-international-airport-due-to-undercarriage-failure/39978043.html
6. AAIU Ireland: https://aaiu.ie/foreign_reports_fr/foreign-report-accident-involving-a-cessna-310q-registration-n25xl-at-belfast-international-airport-17-january-2021/
7. https://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/Search/NNumberResult
8. https://airport-data.com/aircraft/N25XL.html
9. https://airport-data.com/aircraft/G-BBXL.html
10. https://airport-data.com/aircraft/EI-CLX.html
11. As G-BBXL History 1974-1982: https://cwsprduksumbraco.blob.core.windows.net/g-info/HistoricalLedger/G-BBXL-1.pdf
12. As G-BBXL History 1982-1985: https://cwsprduksumbraco.blob.core.windows.net/g-info/HistoricalLedger/G-BBXL-2.pdf
13. N25XL for sale advertisement 23 September 2012: https://www.aerosales.co.uk/for-sale/light-aircraft/cessna-310q-for-sale_i701
14. https://uk.flightaware.com/resources/registration/N25XL
15. N25XL last flight 17 January 2021: https://www.radarbox.com/data/registration/N25XL/
16. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belfast_International_Airport

Built 1974: First registered in the UK (from new) as G-BBXL on 21 January 1974. Between 21 January 1974 and 1 June 1995, passed through the hands of nine succesive owner as G-BBXL. UK regsitration cancelled 1 June 1995, when re-registered in Ireland as EI-CLX.

UK registration G-BBLX restored 11 December 1997. Then passed through the hands of a further four owners (13 UK registered owners in all) as G-BBLX until UK registration cancelled (and airframe de-registered) on 3 April 2009 as "Transferred to another country or authority - UNITED STATES OF AMERICA". Actually re-regsitered as N25XL to Southern Aircraft Consultancy Inc Trustee, which has an address in Norfolk UK, so probably remained UK-based.

Believed written off (damaged beyond economic repair) after the incident at Belfast on 17 January 2021, as the US Federal Aviation Administration database noted that the registration of this 1974-built aircraft was cancelled on "05/11/2021" (May 11 2021).

Cessna 310Q N25XL: Right main landing gear torque tube showing condition and torsional failure (top left photograph)

AAIB July Bulletin now published:https://t.co/JdfYpvmeQ3 pic.twitter.com/Ps6EVMa798

— AAIB (@aaibgovuk) July 8, 2021

A light aircraft suffered an undercarriage failure on landing earlier today. The pilot on board suffered no reported injuries.
The airport remains open and operational with no disruption to flights.

— Belfast Airport (@belfastairport) January 17, 2021

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
17-Jan-2021 16:09	ryan	Added
17-Jan-2021 16:09	harro	Updated [Date, ]
17-Jan-2021 16:15	RobertMB	Updated [Cn, Operator, Other fatalities, Location, Nature, Destination airport, Source, Damage, Narrative, ]
17-Jan-2021 18:01	Aerossurance	Updated [Location, Narrative, ]
18-Jan-2021 00:40	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Embed code, Narrative, ]
18-Jan-2021 00:45	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Total occupants, Source, Embed code, ]
18-Jan-2021 00:48	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Operator, Source, ]
25-Jan-2021 02:35	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative, ]
16-Feb-2021 20:59	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative, ]
08-Jul-2021 17:53	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Location, Departure airport, Category, ]
08-Jul-2021 18:08	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Departure airport, Source, Embed code, Damage, Narrative, ]
08-Jul-2021 18:08	harro	Updated [Embed code, Accident report, ]
28-Jul-2021 14:39	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Location, Category, ]
03-Dec-2024 07:06	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Narrative, Category, ]