Narrative:

Departed sua on an IFR flight plan in VMC for hxd. Initial climb to 5000 ft. At 5000 ft, cleared to 9000 ft. While in climb, I noticed the left engine oil temperature in red zone and oil pressure in the low yellow zone. Requested return to sua approximately 10 mins into flight. I was given a course to steer and cleared to 4000 ft. As I approached 4000 ft I noticed oil running along the left engine cowl. My attention now was focused on the oil pressure, oil temperature and flow. Approach called me and informed me that I was below assigned altitude with traffic in my vicinity. I did not secure left (critical) engine and landed without incident. My correction in the future will be to declare emergency. Causal effect to the situation was that my attention was diverted from the altimeter and was focused on finding the airport, and maintain vigilance on the critical engine. This was my first in-flight situation. In the future, I will declare an emergency. I was told to contact ZMA upon landing, which I did.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF TWIN HAS OIL PRESSURE LOW AND OIL TEMP HIGH READINGS. WHILE TRYING TO TROUBLESHOOT HE DSNDS BELOW ASSIGNED ALT.

Narrative: DEPARTED SUA ON AN IFR FLT PLAN IN VMC FOR HXD. INITIAL CLB TO 5000 FT. AT 5000 FT, CLRED TO 9000 FT. WHILE IN CLB, I NOTICED THE L ENG OIL TEMP IN RED ZONE AND OIL PRESSURE IN THE LOW YELLOW ZONE. REQUESTED RETURN TO SUA APPROX 10 MINS INTO FLT. I WAS GIVEN A COURSE TO STEER AND CLRED TO 4000 FT. AS I APCHED 4000 FT I NOTICED OIL RUNNING ALONG THE L ENG COWL. MY ATTN NOW WAS FOCUSED ON THE OIL PRESSURE, OIL TEMP AND FLOW. APCH CALLED ME AND INFORMED ME THAT I WAS BELOW ASSIGNED ALT WITH TFC IN MY VICINITY. I DID NOT SECURE L (CRITICAL) ENG AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. MY CORRECTION IN THE FUTURE WILL BE TO DECLARE EMER. CAUSAL EFFECT TO THE SIT WAS THAT MY ATTN WAS DIVERTED FROM THE ALTIMETER AND WAS FOCUSED ON FINDING THE ARPT, AND MAINTAIN VIGILANCE ON THE CRITICAL ENG. THIS WAS MY FIRST INFLT SIT. IN THE FUTURE, I WILL DECLARE AN EMER. I WAS TOLD TO CONTACT ZMA UPON LNDG, WHICH I DID.

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.