Incident
During taxi off the runway at Long Beach Airport (LGB), the right main landing gear of a Cessna 310 collapsed. The pilot reported sensing a vibration during the initial takeoff roll and decided to abort the takeoff. As the aircraft exited the runway, the right main gear failed.
Maintenance History
The aircraft had been returned to service following an annual inspection and landing gear maintenance on March 3, 1989. Aircraftsman, a fixed-base operator at Long Beach Airport, had replaced all bushings and spacers in the main gear torque links during that maintenance.
Investigation Findings
Examination revealed that the torque link center attach bolt washer was undersized. This condition allowed the upper torque link to pull free from the lower torque link, leading to the gear collapse. The aircraft came to rest on the taxiway after the collapse.