BE1900 CREW HAD CARGO LOADING PROBS AT A PVT ARPT.

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ARRIVED AT THIS LNDG STRIP WITH A LOAD OF FREIGHT. AFTER OFFLOADING THE INBOUND FREIGHT; I ASKED THE LOADERS WHAT WAS THE WT OF THE OUTBOUND STUFF. HE INDICATED THE PALLET WITH THE 2 BIG VALVES STRAPPED TO IT WAS ABOUT 700 LBS AND THE 6 EMPTY COMPRESSED GAS CYLINDERS WERE ABOUT 100 LBS EACH. I HAD ALREADY FIGURED THE WORST CASE LOADING SCENARIO AND THIS EASILY FELL WITHIN THE CTR OF GRAVITY LIMIT. BY THE TIME ALL THE FREIGHT WAS LOADED; THE FLOOR OF THE BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT WAS VERY SLIPPERY FROM THE TRACKED IN SNOW. THE FO AND I BOTH CONFIRMED THAT THE TAILSTAND WAS HANGING FREE; WHICH VALIDATES THAT THE REAR CTR OF GRAVITY LIMIT IS NOT EXCEEDED. I TRIED TO SECURE THE PALLET WITH A CARGO STRAP THAT I WAS NOT FAMILIAR WITH. IT NEVER SEEMED TO RATCHET DOWN TIGHT AND LEFT QUITE A BIT OF SLACK WHEN 'LOCKED.' I WAS NOT CONVINCED THAT IT WAS SECURE; EVEN THOUGH THE FO WAS TALKING ME THROUGH THE PROC. THE COLD TEMP AND OUR LATE ARR AND THE ONSET OF SOME MILD BODY ACHES THAT FELT FLU-LIKE WERE MAKING ME MORE THAN A LITTLE ANXIOUS. THE FO PULLED THE TAILSTAND AND THREW IT IN THE CARGO COMPARTMENT AND WE STOOD THERE FOR A BRIEF MOMENT. WE BOTH AGREED TO PUT ANOTHER STRAP AROUND THE PALLET. WITHOUT ANOTHER THOUGHT TOWARD THE TAILSTAND; I HELPED HER UP INTO THE CARGO COMPARTMENT. BANG! DOWN CAME THE TAIL AND WE WERE EYEBALL TO EYEBALL. THE PALLET; INDEED; SLID BACK AND WEDGED THE SOLE OF HER BOOT AGAINST THE STEP IN THE COMPARTMENT AND HAD TO BE PRIED OUT. WITH THE HELP OF THE OTHERS; WE GOT THE PLANE RIGHTED AND SECURED. I THEN LOADED 2 CYLINDERS FROM THE REAR COMPARTMENT TO THE FORWARD CABIN AND SECURED; EVALUATED THE TAIL CONE SKIN AND VENTRAL FIN; PUT A GOOD SNUB ON THE PALLET WITH A STRAP I KNEW HOW TO WORK AND DECIDED TO GET TO THE NEXT STOP BEFORE PROPERLY NOTIFYING DISPATCH AND MAINT. I BELIEVE THAT MY DETERIORATING PHYSICAL CONDITION; THE CONTINUED EXPOSURE TO THE COLD ALONG WITH THE LURE OF HANGARS AND PHONES AND OTHER SUPPORT STAFF AT THE NEXT STOP CLOUDED MY JUDGEMENT TO FOLLOW PROC.