Incident Overview
During a landing, the left main landing gear of an airplane collapsed. Prior to the flight, the gear had been observed to "wobble" during taxi in Anchorage. The pilot-in-command (PIC) and a baggage handler inspected the gear and found nothing out of order. The PIC then telephoned company maintenance, and the company general manager stated that the company was aware of a shimmy problem and instructed the PIC to take the flight.
Maintenance History
Company maintenance personnel were aware of a shimmy problem with the aircraft. They initially attributed it to worn bushings. After inspecting the relevant part, they reported finding no problem. The PIC also stated that he visually inspected the assembly just prior to the incident and found no defect.
Part Installation and Release
Records do not indicate a landing gear change; however, the wrong part was installed as outlined in the parts manual. Additionally, an uncertificated assistant to the director of maintenance released the airplane without having a qualified mechanic inspect the gear.
Pilot Actions
The PIC accepted the airplane with a known deficiency and did not enter the discrepancy in the maintenance records until after the incident.