wonder how many tonnes were 'unmanifested' on that one
Incidently, wasn't it an IL76 that took off runway end lights at Richmond a year or so ago....its tyre tracks spotted by the safety officer some time after it had departed??
The Australian report states black on white that the tyre tracks found in the overrun area by the Safety Officer
did not match those of the IL-76. There is even a picture provided of a single tyre mark whereas the IL-76s have a series of double boggies, even on the nose wheel. Plus, since when do aircraft taking-off leave tyre marks in the asphalt unless maybe in case of a reject?
It is true that in many Third World countries, underpaid crews often load un-manifested cargo for which they collect cargo fees themselves, which is split up by the crew, but this is only possible on their regular routes, where they have contacts, since it requires the cooperation of many similarly underpaid people on the ground (customs, cargo handling employees, etc) with whom they share the proceeds of that cargo. I have talked to ex-Aeroflot crew members who told me that this is how they rounded off their ridiculous pay checks in Soviet Union times. I am certain this still goes on in many places. These days however, an IL-76 captain, even in places like Russia, makes several thousand US dollars per month and will not risk his job to make 500$ on the side. A North Korean IL-76 pilot, who still earns peanuts, might.
I checked and found that Azerbaijan Airlines, Azal, and Silk Air, which is all one and the same (they all have the same head office address), lost several IL-76s in accidents.