Probable Cause: The pilot’s decision to land at a closed water-soaked grass runway, which resulted in a runway excursion.
Picture of the Day: Colorful getaway
Steve Talbot submitted this photo and note: “On a short getaway (while our 5 year old is out with her kindergarten pumpkin picking) to admire the beautiful colors as fall is setting up over Quebec, Canada, in October 2025. This is a beautiful view of the south shore of the St Lawrence River just before landing in Neuville, a suburb of Quebec City (CYQB).”
Small town pride for the local airport
One appeal of Airport Day events is that you can never predict what will be brought out or flown in for display, and Rio Vista Airport (O88) in California was no different.
Skyfly Axe gets FAA nod
Skyfly, a U.K. based company, reports its Axe VCA (Vertically Capable Aircraft) has been granted an Experimental permit by the FAA.
Applications open for AOPA scholarships
The application period that opened Oct. 3 closes Dec. 31, with notifications to recipients beginning in February. The next scholarship application period runs from April to June, with notifications beginning in August.
New weather features debut on Garmin Pilot Web
New weather features include Future Radar, freezing levels, surface visibility, and more.
Mooney’s test flight goes awry
Probable Cause: The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during the takeoff roll, which resulted in a runway excursion and an impact with the runway’s precision approach path indicator (PAPI) lights.
Picture of the Day: Stormy skies await
Jerry Strazz submitted this photo and note: “Stormy skies await this Piper in sunburst new paint — new paint for an old bird.”
Ask Paul: What could cause this to happen?
If you look closely at the photo, you’ll notice that the exhaust valve pushrod shroud tube on the right is bent severely and has fractured the pushrod shroud tube. The intake pushrod shroud tube is also bent, but you’ll also notice that this has caused much more serious damage because it has cracked the tappet boss on the crankcase, which means the crankcase will either need serious repair work completed at an FAA-approved facility or a complete replacement.