THE PLT OF A STEEN SKYBOLT IS FORCED INTO AN EMER OFF ARPT LNDG WHEN THE ENG RUNS OUT OF OIL 3 MI W OF IOW; IA.

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PLT TOOK OFF FOR A BRIEF PLEASURE FLT AND LIMITED AEROBATICS. FLEW TO PRACTICE AREA ABOUT 10 MI W OF IOW AND CLBED TO 4500 FT AGL. AFTER SOME WING-OVERS; PLT PERFORMED A SEQUENCE OF 7 OR 8 ROLLS. UPON TURNING BACK TO THE ARPT; THE PLT NOTICED A DECREASE OF PWR; LOW OIL PRESSURE AND HIGH OIL TEMP. PLT ATTEMPTED TO NURSE THE PLANE BACK TO THE ARPT; BUT ENG KEPT LOSING PWR AND EVENTUALLY SEIZED ABOUT 2 MI W OF IOW. PLT SAFELY LANDED THE PLANE IN A SOYBEAN FIELD WITH NO INJURIES TO THE PLT OR DAMAGE TO PLANE (EXCLUDING THE TOASTED ENG). WHILE THE CAUSE OF THE OIL PROB HAS NOT BEEN DEFINITELY IDENTED; PLT BELIEVES THERE WAS A PROB WITH THE INVERTED OIL SYS CAUSING THE ENG TO LOSE A LITTLE BIT OF OIL EACH TIME THE PLANE WENT INVERTED. ON EARLIER FLTS; THE PLT HAD DONE SOME AGGRESSIVE PUSHOVERS (REACHING 0 G'S) AND EACH TIME THERE WAS A LOSS OF APPROX 1 QUART OF OIL FOR THE FLT (APPROX 5-10 PUSHOVERS). BY THE TIME THE PLT TURNED TOWARD THE ARPT; THERE WAS LIKELY VERY LITTLE OIL LEFT IN THE ENG. ALTHOUGH THE PLANE AND ENG HAD 180 HRS ON IT; THE AIRPLANE HAD ONLY BEEN INVERTED A COUPLE OF TIMES FOR A SHORT DURATION (DURING ROLLS BY A PREVIOUS PLT). THEREFORE; THE INVERTED OIL SYS MAY NEVER HAVE BEEN FULLY TESTED. TO HAVE PREVENTED THIS SIT; THERE ARE SEVERAL THINGS THE PLT COULD HAVE DONE. THE PLT SHOULD HAVE DONE A SINGLE ROLL AND THEN RETURNED TO HAVE THE SYS INSPECTED. ALSO; THE PLT SHOULD HAVE PAID CLOSER ATTN TO THE OIL GAUGES DURING THE FLT AND ESPECIALLY MONITORED IT AFTER EACH ROLL. IF THE PLT HAD NOTICED THE PROB SOONER; THE AIRPLANE COULD HAVE RETURNED TO THE ARPT AND NOT HAVE DAMAGED THE ENG. ULTIMATELY; THE PLT SHOULD HAVE CONSIDERED THAT HE WAS EXPANDING THE ENVELOPE OF THE AIRPLANE'S OPS AND TREATED THE FLT AS A TEST FLT RATHER THAN A PLEASURE FLT. ADDITIONALLY; THE PLT PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE LANDED AS SOON AS THE PROB WAS IDENTED RATHER THAN TRYING TO MAKE IT BACK TO THE ARPT. THERE WERE PLENTY OF LEVEL FIELDS AVAILABLE. THE PLT WAS CONCERNED TO MAKE IT BACK TO THE ARPT. THERE WERE PLENTY OF LEVEL FIELDS AVAILABLE. THE PLT WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE RELATIVE HIGH LNDG SPD OF THE PLANE AND DIDN'T REALIZE THE QUICKNESS THE ENG WOULD DETERIORATE. THE PLT FELT THAT THE ENG WOULD HOLD TOGETHER LONG ENOUGH TO REACH THE ARPT AND WEIGHED THE COST OF DAMAGING THE ENG AS BETTER THAN THE RISK OF AN OFF ARPT LNDG. UNFORTUNATELY; HE GOT STUCK WITH BOTH.