C210 pilot takes off with engine cowling plugs in place and returns for emergency landing.

Attributes
ACN	567708
Time
Date	200212
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sat.airport
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl single value : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : sat.tracon
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Cessna 210 Centurion / Turbo Centurion 210C, 210D
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time type : 150
ASRS Report	567708
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : departure
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : cht and oil temp gauges other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : provided flight assist flight crew : landed in emergency condition flight crew : declared emergency
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

Flew into sat airport the previous day. Was unloading bags and found engine cowling plugs in baggage compartment. Put in plugs. Departed following evening after dark. Forgot about putting plugs in (never use them on this or any other air carrier) and did not see them on preflight. Cool WX resulted in normal runup temperatures. Power application was normal for takeoff and initial climb. At first power reduction (1000 ft AGL), scan showed both chart and oil temperatures at top of green and climbing. A moment's thought brought the recollection of the plugs. At that point, I was right at the bases, traveling away from the airport. I immediately turned 90 degrees to the right, and descended to approximately 600 ft AGL, then informed ATC of what I was doing and declared an emergency. Told ATC I had an overheating engine. With power reduced and in VMC, ATC gave a vector to the airport for a visual/contact approach. Approach was made without incident, taxied to FBO. Digital oil temperature gauge never went over 260 degrees, cylinder heat temperature never went over 460 degrees after allowing engine and oil to cool. Oil level checked ok, smelled normal, removed plugs and made normal flight. Human factors -- lack of concentration during preflight and abnormal use of the cowl plugs could have led to disaster. I have developed what I consider a good scan that caught the problem before the engine overheated and seized. Was very fortunate the WX (visibility in particular) had improved from the 500 ft, 3/4 mi visibility it was earlier in the day.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C210 PLT TAKES OFF WITH ENG COWLING PLUGS IN PLACE AND RETURNS FOR EMER LNDG.

Narrative: FLEW INTO SAT ARPT THE PREVIOUS DAY. WAS UNLOADING BAGS AND FOUND ENG COWLING PLUGS IN BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT. PUT IN PLUGS. DEPARTED FOLLOWING EVENING AFTER DARK. FORGOT ABOUT PUTTING PLUGS IN (NEVER USE THEM ON THIS OR ANY OTHER ACR) AND DID NOT SEE THEM ON PREFLT. COOL WX RESULTED IN NORMAL RUNUP TEMPS. PWR APPLICATION WAS NORMAL FOR TKOF AND INITIAL CLB. AT FIRST PWR REDUCTION (1000 FT AGL), SCAN SHOWED BOTH CHART AND OIL TEMPS AT TOP OF GREEN AND CLBING. A MOMENT'S THOUGHT BROUGHT THE RECOLLECTION OF THE PLUGS. AT THAT POINT, I WAS RIGHT AT THE BASES, TRAVELING AWAY FROM THE ARPT. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED 90 DEGS TO THE R, AND DSNDED TO APPROX 600 FT AGL, THEN INFORMED ATC OF WHAT I WAS DOING AND DECLARED AN EMER. TOLD ATC I HAD AN OVERHEATING ENG. WITH PWR REDUCED AND IN VMC, ATC GAVE A VECTOR TO THE ARPT FOR A VISUAL/CONTACT APCH. APCH WAS MADE WITHOUT INCIDENT, TAXIED TO FBO. DIGITAL OIL TEMP GAUGE NEVER WENT OVER 260 DEGS, CYLINDER HEAT TEMP NEVER WENT OVER 460 DEGS AFTER ALLOWING ENG AND OIL TO COOL. OIL LEVEL CHKED OK, SMELLED NORMAL, REMOVED PLUGS AND MADE NORMAL FLT. HUMAN FACTORS -- LACK OF CONCENTRATION DURING PREFLT AND ABNORMAL USE OF THE COWL PLUGS COULD HAVE LED TO DISASTER. I HAVE DEVELOPED WHAT I CONSIDER A GOOD SCAN THAT CAUGHT THE PROB BEFORE THE ENG OVERHEATED AND SEIZED. WAS VERY FORTUNATE THE WX (VISIBILITY IN PARTICULAR) HAD IMPROVED FROM THE 500 FT, 3/4 MI VISIBILITY IT WAS EARLIER IN THE DAY.

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.