From what I've read, the brakes on the HET failed while taking the T28 to the restoration shop!

Here is a small article with a little more info.

https://tankandafvnews.com/2017/01/22/photo-of-the-day-t28-accident/

Is this a second T-28 for the museum? The one from Knox wasn't ever in that bad a shape? That's sad.

I guess we should look at it as a great new diorama opportunity, please someone get pictures of the recovery op!

I did have a great picture of two tan CARC M88s in tandem towing it up a hill in the initial move at Knox but lost that picture in a computer crash. Always thought it was a cool combination of current and WWII tech...

How many bad driver jokes are already being thought of.But until you have drove a large truck with a full load,it can be pretty hard.Just glad nobody was injuried looks like.

I know some first shirt whos probably making it rain with Article 15s and NJPs right now.....

only one way that came off the trailer..... it wasnt chained down in the first place.

Looks like chains front and rear on that first pic; but it's not clear whether that's a before or after pic.

I'm not sure what these pics show. The story it references is weak and doesn't really give any info. Additionally, the Facebook post referenced in the article doesn't exist as the link is dead. The actual National Armor and Cavalry Museum Facebook page shows the same pic of the T28 on the HETs and says it is going across post for a new paintjob in a post dated 18 Jan 17. It has no mention of an accident in the process.

It is very uncommon for a chained vehicle to come off a HETS trailer. It is also uncommon for the HETS to have a complete brake system failure. That is why it has a redundant system for the brakes.

This may be more rumor and conjecture than anything else. I'm not buying it.

Pretty odd place to park a T28. Even odder to have it parked like that.

KInda with Gino on this..... from a forensic standpoint, nothing in those pictures is very torn up.... as if the only thing that happened was the tank was pulled off the trailer and just kept going backwards...... there are no skids, no torn up earth.... if those tracks had done ANYTHING but roll straight, stuff would be all torn up and on those tracks teeth. If that thing was chained down.... the trailer would still be attached, and very likely the tractor too.... Brakes failing could be a possibility.... but the HETs are designed to carry 70 tons.... and it being active duty post, I dont expect that it was a first time driver/A driver. somethings fishy for sure...

Just to terrify the life out of everyone, The UK is still considering whether its HETs should be subject to full load brake testing rather than just brake inspections. That's 120 tonnes from speed......

I haven't read the linked article, but it's quite possible the T28 was tipped off by cornering at too high a speed, even chained down and particularly if it overhung the trailer deck. It wouldn't be the first time: I've seen it happen to a CRAARV on (off?) a HET. A malfuntion of the trailer wheel steering could have done it too. Whatever happened must have involved some speed for the T28 to be that far off the road. It's a big lump. In fact at 95US/86 metric tons it's well overweight for HET. Some few tons lighter of course without the outer track run and skirts. US HETs struggle to carry M1 SEP, which is why they've borrowed some UK HET in Germany. But even that only carries 72 tonnes legally. So overweight was probably a big factor.

Also odd is that it has managed to spin round 180 degrees if it came straight off the trailer to land where it did looking at the track marks. It's on the trailer facing to the rear yet went in the hole backwards, if it came off the trailer it would have gone forwards into the hole as there is an electrical box behind it it couldn't have gone in forwards.

Think this is fishy to say the least.

Checking in with a friend of mine who is a Tanks instructor at Benning. If he gives me anything solid Ill put everyones minds at ease LOL

Posted on the NACM Facebook page:

Friends of the National Armor and Cavalry Museum,

Last Thursday we were very excited to show off the T28 leaving the yard. It was on its way to begin the first part of a clean-up, re-paint, and partial restoration. Unfortunately things do not always go as planned. During the journey across post to where it was to be painted, the contracted Heavy Equipment Transporter (HET) was traveling down a hill when it suffered an unexpected and massive brake failure. In order to keep the HET on the road, the contractor crew was forced to make an extremely sharp turn. This forcefully shifted the T28 (currently weighing about the same as an M1A2 Abrams as it is without its outer track set or engine installed) around the trailer. Despite the large amounts of chain used, the T28 broke completely free. In hindsight, this probably prevented a worse accident since the T28 was not left partially chained, which could have caused the tank to roll over and off. Instead the T28 slid off the trailer and hit the ground with both tracks. It then rolled rear first, into a ditch before stopping.
First and foremost, we are extremely thankful no one was injured in the incident.

As for the accident itself, the appropriate departments are conducting their investigations.

As for the T28, we are very lucky that it was built very tough! Considering the U.S. Super Heavy was definitely not designed to fly short distances, it landed in the best manner imaginable. The impact of the landing and subsequent stop in the ditch did cause some damage to the suspension, specifically two bogie stations. The good news is everything is repairable and will be incorporated into the painting and cleanup. While she spent a night in the ditch, she was recovered the next day with no issues by two M88A1 Hercules Recovery Vehicles.

During this time, we did not put out information until all chains of command could be informed and a proper damage assessment could be completed. While this is an unfortunate setback, it is minor in the long run and the T28 will be back.

In closing we'd like to thank everyone for their support during this process and hope you continue to follow our work in preserving and restoring the U.S. Army's armor collection. Thank you!

Sincerly,
The NACM Staff and Volunteers

Hope they took pictures of the recovery operation. That would have been something to see.

Sorry for the broken link, I have repaired it. When I made this post yesterday, there was very little information available, just some unverified information on a single facebook post. I have posted the full statement from the NACM facebook page on my site today.

After talking to some other Armor and Transpo guys around the office and seeing some other pics of the crash scene, it seems there were a few factors at play. The crash was at the bottom of a long, shallow grade with a "T" intersection at the bottom. The consensus is that the driver either took the turn at the bottom going too fast, or he laid on the brakes all the way down the hill and drained the air tanks. Either way, the HETS went around the turn too quickly. Also, looking at the T28 loaded on the trailer, the chains are too small and there were not enough of them to hold that much mass in place when the truck/trailer took a violent turn to the right. The force of the load shifting appears to have broken the chains and the T28 slid/rolled off the trailer to the left as the truck went hard right. Luckily there were no injuries and only minor damage to the T28.

I really wonder what type of brake failure it had. If it was an air issue and it lost all air pressure, the emergency brakes would have applied. Stopping the HET and trailer in short order.