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Aircraft cargo winch came loose while loading cargo


edwardlcy
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Goodday to y'all forummers, my squadron is a user of the Lockheed C-130 Hercules Cargo Winch. Recently there's a Special Occurence Report (SOR) regarding the cargo winch give way causing the load to roll down the ramp and hit the aft fuselage causing a tear. I'm in the process of investigating this incident trying to determine whether it was the cargo winch failure or there's a mistake in the loading procedure.

The senario while the cargo winch is as follows:

1. Loadmaster 1 (L1) operated the cargo winch while Loadmaster 2 (L2) observed the loading of the cargo and gives instructions to L1.

2. The load is a tri-wheel hydraulic cart requiring a cable pull of approx 2500 lbs.

3. When the incident happened, the load was halfway up the cargo ramp door when L2 instructed L1 to stop operation of the cargo winch in order to reposition the dry shoring.

4. L1 acted by continuing to hold the operating handle in aft position (pull mode) and switching off the motor. The brake ratchet was not engaged.

5. The cargo winch was unable to hold the load, hence the winch cable was extended and the load slid off the ramp and jumped choke to hit the aft fuselage.

My questions are:

1. Should the cargo winch be able to hold the load when the operating handle in pull position, motor off and brakes off?

2. Is there any test i can run to determine if the cargo winch motor is still able to sustain a 4000lbs pull load when in operation?

3. Is there any reference, technical, servicing manual that you can share with me so that i can better understand this case and investigate it?

my current reference is TM382C-9 Loading Instruction.

I hope you can assist me to investigate this incident and appreciate your help very much. Thank you!

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with motor off and brake off but handle in pull position, sure that it will not hold load? Any reference for this? TQ..

According to T.O. 35D4-2-30-1 section 2 para 2-9-f :

When allowing a load to move down a conveyor ramp, use cargo winch assembly, as brake to control speed at which load moves down ramp.

NOTE: No electrical power is required when using Cargo Winch Assembly, Model 41BG as a brake.

My question is regarding the statement above, how do we use the cargo winch assembly as a brake without electrical power? is it thru the operation of the operating handle or the brake ratchet??

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The handle is the "brake" and depending on the amount of pressure you put on the handle "pull" the more braking you get no matter the position of the brake ratchet.

(one of the steps)

When hauling a load up ramp, manually engage brake ratchet before releasing operating handle.

This may be the area of concern as if the Brake "handle" pressure is released without the ratchet engaged the load WILL move down the ramp...

You should engage the ratchet then release the handle "pressure" which will lock the drum in place when it tries to extend. You have to "retract the cable" in order to release the ratchet then resume the off load.

Not sure of the Winch TO but got the boys working on it...

My questions are:

1. Should the cargo winch be able to hold the load when the operating handle in pull position, motor off and brakes off?

YES

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yeah but my operator insists that he maintain the pull position of the handle when he switched off the motor without engaging the brake ratchet....and that's when the load slid down the ramp..

From TO 35D4-2-30-1 in 2-1 General:

A safety latch consisiting of a lever, pawl, and ratchet is provided to lock the cable drum in the event of power or mechanical failure. The pawl is spring-loaded and is actuated manually by lightly pulling up on the lever. The spring holds the pawl in contact with the ratchet and locks the cable drum. The pawl is disengaged from the ratchet by pressing the lever down.

So meaning to say, in the meaning of power failure/turning off motor, ratchet brake should be engaged right?

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