C172 pilot reported the engine overheated requiring a return to the departure airport.

Date: 2024-10 · Aircraft: Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172

Anomalies: aircraft-equipment-problem-critical|airspace-violation-all-types|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-far|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-published-material-policy

Synopsis

C172 pilot reported the engine overheated requiring a return to the departure airport.

Narrative

Today I just joined a flying club. I did 2 checkout flights in this plane. The plane's temperature ran fine with instructor but I took Person A and Person B flying with me for the first time as a Private Pilot. The temperature about 20 mins after takeoff began to go up past the halfway point and I also have a picture of that from Person B from the back. They did not know anything was happening as I remained calm and immediately turned back to the airport very soon into this flight. I then proceed direct to ZZZ from the north and wasn't even 11 miles out. I listened to the ASOS and called the tower and no one responded. I thought I would wait. I then realize Person A is talking to me and none of the headsets are working. I proceeded to try over and over again to call tower in a panic because I need to LAND THE PLANE THATS over heating with my family on. I tried the ground frequency and the controller was talking to me.He could not hear me nor I him in the previous attempts to call. I then told him I need to request to land and he told me possible pilot deviation. I told him about why I busted the airspace and lost of coms. My passengers were oblivious to what happened but I myself knew I just saved us and was absolutely a nightmare of a first day joining a flight club. I told them later on the ground and also told the flight club and they are looking into it and it's going to be looked at. I do not want that to ever happen again but felt I needed to get close enough to at least glide in case the engine quit or got to hot I could just cut it off and glide. I had no radios and a overheating plane and my family in the plane. Person A was with me and was scared I couldn't get a hold of the tower and was trying to ask me but I thankfully got us on the ground but had to call the tower on the phone after sadly because I entered without a clearance but couldn't even hear nor they hear me.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.