Light Sport Aircraft
Flight Crew Flight Instructor; Flight Crew Commercial; Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Multiengine
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 10; Flight Crew Total 8400; Flight Crew Type .3
Distraction; Situational Awareness; Training / Qualification
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Ground Event / Encounter Ground Strike - Aircraft; Ground Excursion Runway; Inflight Event / Encounter Loss Of Aircraft Control
Aircraft Aircraft Damaged; Flight Crew Landed As Precaution; General Maintenance Action
Aircraft; Human Factors
The owner of the plane asked me to fly with him to become familiar with the plane; to prepare for completing his flight review.  We reviewed extensively the POH prior to the flight and researched the operation of the instruments.  We planned to go to a practice area southeast of the airport.  After receiving our departure instructions from ground control; we taxied to the runway.  The runup was normal; and engine instruments were in the proper range.  On takeoff; we flew runway heading; receiving our instruction after the departure to proceed on course.  The owner was monitoring the engine gauges; while I found the proper attitude for climbout.  The oil temperature exceeded the maximum recommended and the multi-function display was flashing a warning.  Oil pressure was also showing 'low for cruise'.  The owner of the plane said it didn't do that on his previous flights.  We decided to return to the airport to diagnose the issues.  We lowered the nose and the oil temperature warning light stopped blinking briefly; but we needed more altitude for the terrain.We entered downwind; got clearance to land.  I set up for the landing; reducing power and lowering the flaps.  On final; I put in full flaps and reduced power and trimmed for a 70 mph glide.  Although this was slightly higher than the POH recommended; everything seemed to be stable and on the proper glide path.  As I was about to touch down; I felt the nose wasn't high enough and pulled back on the stick.  Because I was unfamiliar with the light control pressures; I over-controlled and the nose went too high.  The left wing dipped and the plane left the runway as it scraped the left wing tip on the runway; damaging the wing tip light and the aileron.  Emergency equipment was mobilized and escorted us to the hanger.I believe the contributing factors were lack of experience in light sport planes and this plane in particular; the distractions of the high oil temperature; low oil pressure and the warning lights on the panel that may or may not have been accurate.
The owner of a Light Sport Aircraft and his Flight Instructor experienced a high oil temperature and low oil pressure indication condition and elected to return to the field. The instructor was making the landing and over-controlled the aircraft; resulting in a runway excursion with damage to the wing tip and aileron.