Narrative:

I recently bought an experimental aircraft. It is a tail dragger. Prior to the purchase I had no tail dragger time. Backgnd is relevant. I got some tail wheel time in another type tail dragger. I went to practice flying my aircraft for the second time. I chose not to check the oil because I believed it to be full and I didn't want to remove the cowl to inspect it. Preflight was otherwise uneventful. Runup and taxi were ok. My takeoff roll was terrible, the engine in my aircraft has a non standard rotation and needs left rudder to maintain directional stability. I started to veer off the runway to the right because I didn't compensate well. I got off the ground, I climbed out in a left pattern to 1600' MSL. I went once around the pattern to practice. I noticed the oil pressure to be less than 10 pound PST. I declared an emergency on unicom. I followed another aircraft on final in. The small aircraft on final did not go around. I landed short behind him. I believe his speed to have been 60 mph, mine 80 mph rather than run into him I did a touch and go leap frogging over him on my go around. I did a 360 degree approach at 50' AGL and landed. Upon further inspection, I determined that I had misread my gauge and the oil pressure was fine. I believe my lack of familiarity with the aircraft compounded my poor decision not checking the oil. I believe my squirrely takeoff put me at an additionally diminished level of competence to access the oil pressure situation. I was lucky.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT NEW TO ACFT NOTED OIL PRESSURE PROBLEM ANNOUNCED EMERGENCY LNDG BEHIND SMA AT SLOWER SPEED. UPON LNDG COLLISION WAS IMMENENT PLT ELECTED TO DO TOUCH AND GO OVER THE SLOWER ACFT.

Narrative: I RECENTLY BOUGHT AN EXPERIMENTAL ACFT. IT IS A TAIL DRAGGER. PRIOR TO THE PURCHASE I HAD NO TAIL DRAGGER TIME. BACKGND IS RELEVANT. I GOT SOME TAIL WHEEL TIME IN ANOTHER TYPE TAIL DRAGGER. I WENT TO PRACTICE FLYING MY ACFT FOR THE SEC TIME. I CHOSE NOT TO CHK THE OIL BECAUSE I BELIEVED IT TO BE FULL AND I DIDN'T WANT TO REMOVE THE COWL TO INSPECT IT. PREFLT WAS OTHERWISE UNEVENTFUL. RUNUP AND TAXI WERE OK. MY TKOF ROLL WAS TERRIBLE, THE ENG IN MY ACFT HAS A NON STANDARD ROTATION AND NEEDS L RUDDER TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL STABILITY. I STARTED TO VEER OFF THE RWY TO THE R BECAUSE I DIDN'T COMPENSATE WELL. I GOT OFF THE GND, I CLBED OUT IN A L PATTERN TO 1600' MSL. I WENT ONCE AROUND THE PATTERN TO PRACTICE. I NOTICED THE OIL PRESSURE TO BE LESS THAN 10 LB PST. I DECLARED AN EMER ON UNICOM. I FOLLOWED ANOTHER ACFT ON FINAL IN. THE SMA ON FINAL DID NOT GO AROUND. I LANDED SHORT BEHIND HIM. I BELIEVE HIS SPD TO HAVE BEEN 60 MPH, MINE 80 MPH RATHER THAN RUN INTO HIM I DID A TOUCH AND GO LEAP FROGGING OVER HIM ON MY GO AROUND. I DID A 360 DEG APCH AT 50' AGL AND LANDED. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION, I DETERMINED THAT I HAD MISREAD MY GAUGE AND THE OIL PRESSURE WAS FINE. I BELIEVE MY LACK OF FAMILIARITY WITH THE ACFT COMPOUNDED MY POOR DECISION NOT CHKING THE OIL. I BELIEVE MY SQUIRRELY TKOF PUT ME AT AN ADDITIONALLY DIMINISHED LEVEL OF COMPETENCE TO ACCESS THE OIL PRESSURE SITUATION. I WAS LUCKY.

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.