Been Reading this with great interest, not as a Pilot but as an Ex Movements Controller in the RAF.
Now i have been out for the best part of nearly 30 Years but i"m pretty sure we used to Restrain Equipment, including Wheeled Equipment at 4G Forward and 1.5G Rearward and Lateral , like i say, hard to remember.
Thus - 4G Multiplied by 25000 lbs = 100000 lbs,
Divide the 100000 by the 10000 lb (Restraint factor of a given Chain) and that Equals 10. Now, Single Chain Tie Downs are always in Pairs believe it or not so as such you would have 5 times 10000 lb Chains one side and 5 the other for forward restraint and for the Rear, personally, i would put 6 Chains, (3 aside).
Someone mentioned 100 Ton Chains or something, basically, the Chain is only as Strong as its Weakest Link, for instance, if a 10000 lb Chain was used on a 5000 lb tie down point on a Herc Ramp then that is what the Chains Restraint Factor is.
Someone also mentioned Restraint Equipment is Tested to 1.5 times it"s Restraint Factor, True, so as such, a 10000 lbs Chain should not Break until around 15000 lbs.
The Wooden Dunnage under the Load may have been used for Load Spreading.
The Aircraft Pallet that The Vehicle was Sited on has a Floor Loading Intensity, (FLI), much the same as Aircraft Floors, and at 25000 lbs, that particular Vehicle may have Exceeded it and as such, they may have Spread the Weight elsewhere on the Pallet.
As for Load Movement in Transit, i have never not seen the Loadie Check his Load on Arrival at another Station, they always check it, also in Flight as well, now this is from my Experience.
Can"t Comment on the Crash itself as i have already mentioned, i not a Pilot, except to say how Tragic it was.
Last edited by MADTASS; 9th May 2013 at 14:20.