August 19 
Engine manufacturer Lycoming has issued a Mandatory Service Bulletin that affects all light aircraft with the Txx-540 piston engine

SB-552 will ground most of the Piper Navajos, Malibu Mirages, Piper Saratogas, and Cessna Turbo Stationaires using the turbo-charged 300 hp engines here in OZ

Lycoming are prepared to replace, at no charge, all the suspect crankshafts in engines sent into the USA factory

 August 20 
Taiwan's China Airlines Airbus A340 passenger jet has been reported as lining up and taking off from the taxiway instead of the runway in Anchorage, Alaska last January

US controllers realised the pilots had made a mistake and let the fast accelerating jet depart; the captain and flight crew were suspended from flying duties by authorities

Makes a lightie departing from the taxiway - which has happened at Archerfield - look like kid's stuff by comparison!

Previous China Air news article HERE

 August 21 
A Russian Mi-26 military helicopter has crashed near the Chechen capital, Grozny in the Russian Federation with the loss of up to 105 military personnel on board

Witnesses have reported seeing a small rocket following the helicopter just prior to the crash and survivors confirmed that it was a missile

"The crash follows a surge in rebel action, including attacks late last week which killed nine servicemen and five civilians"

 August 22 
US Air Force pilot Scott O'Grady, who became a national figure when a missile took out his F-16 fighter over Bosnia in June 1995, has filed a lawsuit over his 'hero' status in the movie of him, 'Behind Enemy Lines'

"Captain O'Grady was also troubled that the 'hero' in the Fox movie used foul language, was portrayed as a 'hot dog' type pilot, and disobeyed orders, unlike O'Grady"