Narrative:

While on a landing rollout at jackson, mi, airport (jxn) and on runway 14, my aircraft (1946 ercoupe) was pushed off the left side of the runway by a wind gust. The aircraft struck a runway light with the left wing. I was then able to safely stop the plane in the grass to the left of runway 14. There were no injuries to myself or single passenger. I taxied the aircraft to the ramp below the control tower and met with the tower operator and airport manager. I as well as the airport manager attempted to call a mechanic at jackson to inspect the plane and we were unable to contact anyone as it was a sunday. I thoroughly inspected the aircraft myself. There was a dent approximately 5-6 inches long and 2 inches deep in the leading edge of the left wing at approximately the mid section of the wing. I am not a certified mechanic but I was an aircraft mechanic in the military (1971-1975). I felt that the aircraft was very airworthy and took off at approximately XA30 and returned to my home base, new hudson airport (Y47) without incident. I needed to land at jxn even though there were strong gusts because the handicapped passenger with me had a full urinary catheter bag that needed to be emptied. I felt it would be safer to land at jackson where the runway was in better alignment for the prevailing winds than attempting to return to new hudson. I also felt that we could wait at jackson to allow the winds to calm down. The condition with my passenger's urinary catheter was not an emergency but it was urgent. I felt the landing was good at jackson until the gust during rollout made it impossible to keep on the runway. (The ercoupe does not have rudder pedals.) I was not aware that I may have violated an far by flying the aircraft from jackson without a mechanic inspecting the dented wing. Considering what I felt was the minimum extent of the damage and the fact that I struck a light that was designed to break away, I did not feel there was any structural damage that made the aircraft unairworthy. I intend to thoroughly review the FARS pertaining to these sits with an instructor and I am also in the process of looking for an airplane with rudder pedals.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ERCOUPE PLT ENCOUNTERED A XWIND ON LNDG AND DEPARTED THE RWY AT JXN. THE ACFT DAMAGED THE L WING LEADING EDGE ON A RWY LIGHT AND WAS NOT INSPECTED BY A LICENSED TECHNICIAN PRIOR TO FLT.

Narrative: WHILE ON A LNDG ROLLOUT AT JACKSON, MI, ARPT (JXN) AND ON RWY 14, MY ACFT (1946 ERCOUPE) WAS PUSHED OFF THE L SIDE OF THE RWY BY A WIND GUST. THE ACFT STRUCK A RWY LIGHT WITH THE L WING. I WAS THEN ABLE TO SAFELY STOP THE PLANE IN THE GRASS TO THE L OF RWY 14. THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO MYSELF OR SINGLE PAX. I TAXIED THE ACFT TO THE RAMP BELOW THE CTL TWR AND MET WITH THE TWR OPERATOR AND ARPT MGR. I AS WELL AS THE ARPT MGR ATTEMPTED TO CALL A MECH AT JACKSON TO INSPECT THE PLANE AND WE WERE UNABLE TO CONTACT ANYONE AS IT WAS A SUNDAY. I THOROUGHLY INSPECTED THE ACFT MYSELF. THERE WAS A DENT APPROX 5-6 INCHES LONG AND 2 INCHES DEEP IN THE LEADING EDGE OF THE L WING AT APPROX THE MID SECTION OF THE WING. I AM NOT A CERTIFIED MECH BUT I WAS AN ACFT MECH IN THE MIL (1971-1975). I FELT THAT THE ACFT WAS VERY AIRWORTHY AND TOOK OFF AT APPROX XA30 AND RETURNED TO MY HOME BASE, NEW HUDSON ARPT (Y47) WITHOUT INCIDENT. I NEEDED TO LAND AT JXN EVEN THOUGH THERE WERE STRONG GUSTS BECAUSE THE HANDICAPPED PAX WITH ME HAD A FULL URINARY CATHETER BAG THAT NEEDED TO BE EMPTIED. I FELT IT WOULD BE SAFER TO LAND AT JACKSON WHERE THE RWY WAS IN BETTER ALIGNMENT FOR THE PREVAILING WINDS THAN ATTEMPTING TO RETURN TO NEW HUDSON. I ALSO FELT THAT WE COULD WAIT AT JACKSON TO ALLOW THE WINDS TO CALM DOWN. THE CONDITION WITH MY PAX'S URINARY CATHETER WAS NOT AN EMER BUT IT WAS URGENT. I FELT THE LNDG WAS GOOD AT JACKSON UNTIL THE GUST DURING ROLLOUT MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO KEEP ON THE RWY. (THE ERCOUPE DOES NOT HAVE RUDDER PEDALS.) I WAS NOT AWARE THAT I MAY HAVE VIOLATED AN FAR BY FLYING THE ACFT FROM JACKSON WITHOUT A MECH INSPECTING THE DENTED WING. CONSIDERING WHAT I FELT WAS THE MINIMUM EXTENT OF THE DAMAGE AND THE FACT THAT I STRUCK A LIGHT THAT WAS DESIGNED TO BREAK AWAY, I DID NOT FEEL THERE WAS ANY STRUCTURAL DAMAGE THAT MADE THE ACFT UNAIRWORTHY. I INTEND TO THOROUGHLY REVIEW THE FARS PERTAINING TO THESE SITS WITH AN INSTRUCTOR AND I AM ALSO IN THE PROCESS OF LOOKING FOR AN AIRPLANE WITH RUDDER PEDALS.

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.