A B727-200 ON LNDG HAD SEVERE NOSE GEAR SHIMMY AND LOSS OF STEERING. CAUSED BY A MISSING LOWER TORQUE LINK BUSHING.

Narrative

ACFT WAS LAUNCHED FROM THE ARPT ON MAR/XA/02. THE TORQUE LINK WAS DISCONNECTED FOR PUSHBACK. UPON DISCONNECTING THE TUG AND TOWBAR FROM THE ACFT; THE TORQUE LINK WAS RECONNECTED UTILIZING THE TORQUE LINK LOCK PIN. BOTH MECHS CHKED THAT THE LOCK PIN WAS INSTALLED CORRECTLY WITH THE LATCH IN THE DETENT POS. THE ACFT WAS THEN TAXIED OUT MAKING 2 R TURNS TO TXWY B; PROCEEDING ONTO THE ACTIVE RWY EVENTUALLY MAKING A TOTAL OF 5 TURNS. AFTER LINING UP ON THE ACTIVE RWY; THE ACFT MADE A NORMAL TKOF WITH NO GEAR PROBS. DURING LNDG; THE PLT EXPERIENCED SEVERE NOSEWHEEL SHIMMY AT 80 KTS. UTILIZING ALTERNATE BRAKING METHODS THE PLT WAS ABLE TO KEEP THE ACFT STRAIGHT AND THEN REALIZED HE HAD NO STEERING. AFTER COMING TO A STOP HE CALLED TWR AND COMPANY CAME TO TOW ACFT OFF THE RWY. UPON MAINT INSPECTION OF THE ACFT; THEY FOUND A BUSHING MISSING FROM LOWER TORQUE LINK ASSEMBLY WHERE LOCK PIN IS INSTALLED. THE GND SENSE TUBE WAS BENT; BUT LOCK PIN WAS STILL ATTACHED TO CONDUIT IN NOSEWHEEL. BOTH TIRES (NOSE) AND THE GND SENSE TUBE; CONDUIT BRACKET AS WELL AS BUSHINGS ON LOWER TORQUE LINK WERE REPLACED. INSPECTION OF THE LOCK PIN REVEALED NO APPARENT DAMAGE BUT IT WAS ALSO REPLACED.