Narrative:

I finished my 2 3/4 yr homebuilt project. I received 2 15-min lessons on its first flts (captain/south seat). This is a very high performance aircraft, and I nervously took off solo on the first shakedown cruise. (This event I dreamed of for the last 2 yrs.) takeoff was rough but acceptable. Trim in the air was good. Air was warm at altitude (from 98 degrees to 102 degrees each day on ground). I flew east toward medford -- takeoff being from grants pass 30 mi to the west. I expected to fly 1/2 to 1 hour returning to grants pass. While climbing in the heated air, I suddenly noticed oil temperature in the red (240 degrees never exceed). I really got stressed and descended under low power immediately. Medford was somewhat closer than grants pass, so I hightailed for there, in a nervous state. I reported on downwind, then when gear was put down, creating lots of drag, oil temperature edged up again, sun was in my eyes, I couldn't get good vision on radio dials. I had my hands full. 'I must not ruin this new engine.' I proceeded on base and final of runway 32 awaiting word from tower either 'continue on,' or 'pull up and go around.' no contact. I assumed it was ok to continue my somewhat emergency landing. After a poor, stressful, bumpy landing, tower told me to get off now! So I did, again faced the sun, had 121.9 instead of 121.8 on ground control, so we were not talking to each other. I was 1 digit off on ground control. While trying to establish contact, face in sun and stressed (oil temperature now down out of red), I crossed an active runway (27) and taxied across a vacant helicopter pad. So as I got out of the plane, frazzled, tower called me and said FAA might cite me. This is an exceptional first flight case on a difficult homebuilt. I flew out of mfr after that, no problem.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HOMEBUILT TEST FLT. OIL TEMP IN RED. PLT MAKES EMER LNDG WITHOUT CLRNC FROM TWR. TAXIES WITHOUT CLRNC AND CROSSES ACTIVE RWY AND HELIPAD.

Narrative: I FINISHED MY 2 3/4 YR HOMEBUILT PROJECT. I RECEIVED 2 15-MIN LESSONS ON ITS FIRST FLTS (CAPT/S SEAT). THIS IS A VERY HIGH PERFORMANCE ACFT, AND I NERVOUSLY TOOK OFF SOLO ON THE FIRST SHAKEDOWN CRUISE. (THIS EVENT I DREAMED OF FOR THE LAST 2 YRS.) TKOF WAS ROUGH BUT ACCEPTABLE. TRIM IN THE AIR WAS GOOD. AIR WAS WARM AT ALT (FROM 98 DEGS TO 102 DEGS EACH DAY ON GND). I FLEW E TOWARD MEDFORD -- TKOF BEING FROM GRANTS PASS 30 MI TO THE W. I EXPECTED TO FLY 1/2 TO 1 HR RETURNING TO GRANTS PASS. WHILE CLBING IN THE HEATED AIR, I SUDDENLY NOTICED OIL TEMP IN THE RED (240 DEGS NEVER EXCEED). I REALLY GOT STRESSED AND DSNDED UNDER LOW PWR IMMEDIATELY. MEDFORD WAS SOMEWHAT CLOSER THAN GRANTS PASS, SO I HIGHTAILED FOR THERE, IN A NERVOUS STATE. I RPTED ON DOWNWIND, THEN WHEN GEAR WAS PUT DOWN, CREATING LOTS OF DRAG, OIL TEMP EDGED UP AGAIN, SUN WAS IN MY EYES, I COULDN'T GET GOOD VISION ON RADIO DIALS. I HAD MY HANDS FULL. 'I MUST NOT RUIN THIS NEW ENG.' I PROCEEDED ON BASE AND FINAL OF RWY 32 AWAITING WORD FROM TWR EITHER 'CONTINUE ON,' OR 'PULL UP AND GAR.' NO CONTACT. I ASSUMED IT WAS OK TO CONTINUE MY SOMEWHAT EMER LNDG. AFTER A POOR, STRESSFUL, BUMPY LNDG, TWR TOLD ME TO GET OFF NOW! SO I DID, AGAIN FACED THE SUN, HAD 121.9 INSTEAD OF 121.8 ON GND CTL, SO WE WERE NOT TALKING TO EACH OTHER. I WAS 1 DIGIT OFF ON GND CTL. WHILE TRYING TO ESTABLISH CONTACT, FACE IN SUN AND STRESSED (OIL TEMP NOW DOWN OUT OF RED), I CROSSED AN ACTIVE RWY (27) AND TAXIED ACROSS A VACANT HELI PAD. SO AS I GOT OUT OF THE PLANE, FRAZZLED, TWR CALLED ME AND SAID FAA MIGHT CITE ME. THIS IS AN EXCEPTIONAL FIRST FLT CASE ON A DIFFICULT HOMEBUILT. I FLEW OUT OF MFR AFTER THAT, NO PROBLEM.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.