A CFI FLYING HIS 1941 AERONCA HAS TO PERFORM AN EMER OFF ARPT LNDG IN A BEAN FIELD WHEN THE ENG STOPS DUE TO AN OIL LEAK NEAR VYS; IL.

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ENRTE FROM MOLINE AREA (PVT STRIP) TO DAIGHT; IL; IN 1941 AERONCA. APPROX 20-30 MINS AFTER DEP; ENG DEVELOPED AN OCCASIONAL MISS. SHORTLY THEREAFTER; OIL BEGAN TO APPEAR ON WINDSHIELD. AT THAT TIME WE WERE APPROX 10 MI W OF LASALLE/PERU; IL; ARPT AND DIVERTED TO THAT FIELD. AS WE CONTINUED TOWARD THE ARPT; THE ENG BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH AN WE WERE UNABLE TO MAINTAIN ALT 92500 FT MSL). I ATTEMPTED TO USE CARB HEAT BUT THAT WAS OF NO HELP. WE WERE CONTINUING TO LOSE ALT AND I FELT THAT WE WOULD MAKE IT TO THE ARPT BUT APPROX 3/4 MI FROM APCH END OF RWY 36 THE ENG QUIT. I WAS APPROX 400 FT AGL AND KNEW THAT I WOULD NOT MAKE IT TO THE ARPT; SO I MADE A L 90 DEG TURN TO CROSS OVER ELECTRICAL WIRES PARALLELING MY FLT PATH AND AFTER XING THE WIRES; I MADE A 90 DEG R TURN TO APPROX 360 DEG HDG AND SLIPPED THE ACFT INTO A BEAN FIELD (WHICH WAS MUDDY FROM A 3 INCH RAIN THE NIGHT BEFORE). THE LNDG WS A FULL STALL LNDG. BECAUSE OF THE MUD; ACFT ONLY ROLLED APPROX 75-100 FT. THE ACFT WAS NOT DAMAGED; THERE WERE NO INJURIES; AND ONLY MINIMAL DAMAGE TO A FEW ROWS OF BEANS. THE ACFT IS TO BE EXAMINED THIS WK TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF ENG FAILURE. PRIOR TO DEP; ACFT WAS TOPPED OFF WITH FUEL AND OIL WAS FULL. ANNUAL HAD BEEN PERFORMED IN APR/01.