SMA TAXIING TO 'T' MARKED PARKING SPOT HAS WINGTIP CONTACT WITH CHAIN LINK FENCE.

Narrative

I HAD JUST FLOWN IFR FROM MY HOME BASE AT EASTON MUNICIPAL (ESN) TO SALISBURY (SBY) FOR THE PURPOSE OF ATTENDING A BUSINESS MEETING. I WAS ALONE IN THE AIRPLANE AND IT HAD BEEN A SHORT; UNEVENTFUL FLT. ALTHOUGH I HAD LANDED AT SBY ON A FEW OCCASIONS PREVIOUSLY; I HAD ALWAYS PARKED AT THE FBO'S RAMP. ON THIS MORNING; I HAD DECIDED TO REQUEST PARKING CLOSER TO THE TERMINAL IN ORDER TO MAKE IT MORE CONVENIENT FOR THE PERSON PICKING ME UP TO TAKE ME TO MY MEETING. AFTER LNDG AND CLRING THE RWY; SBY RADIO CONFIRMED THAT PARKING WAS AVAILABLE ON A RAMP NEXT TO THEIR FACILITY. I WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THAT PART OF THE ARPT. THERE WERE NO GND PERSONNEL; AND NO OTHER ACFT WERE IN THE VICINITY. HOWEVER; I WAS ACROSS THE TARMAC FROM THE FSS BUILDING AND COULD SEE THE SPECIFIED AREA FROM MY POS. I TAXIED TOWARD IT AND NOTED A 3 1/2 - 4 FT HIGH CHAIN LINK FENCE ALONG THE PERIMETER. AT THAT POINT; I WAS QUITE RELAXED AND THINKING ABOUT THE PURPOSE OF MY BUSINESS MEETING. UPON REACHING THE RAMP I NOTED PAINTED 'T'S' TO MARK TIE-DOWN SPACES; MENTALLY SELECTED ONE; AND INITIATED A 180 DEG TURN WHICH I'D CALCULATED WOULD PLACE ME ON THE 'T' AND FACING IN THE INDICATED DIRECTION TO SHUT DOWN. (AT MY HOME BASE WE NORMALLY EXECUTE SUCH MANEUVERS WHEN PARKING IN THE SPACES ALONG THE EDGES OF THE TARMAC.) HOWEVER; I HAD BECOME BLIND TO THE FENCE AND NEGLECTED TO CONSIDER ITS PROX. NOT QUITE HALFWAY THROUGH THE TURN; THE TIP OF THE R WING CLIPPED THE TOP OF THE FENCE. REALIZING MY ERROR I IMMEDIATELY STOPPED THE AIRPLANE AND SHUT IT DOWN. BY THE TIME THE AIRPLANE HAD COME TO A COMPLETE STOP; THE FENCE WAS UNDER THE WING ABOUT 1 1/2 FT IN FROM THE TIP. WHILE THE FENCE WAS UNDAMAGED; THE SKIN UNDER THE WINGTIP WAS GASHED AND 1 RIB WAS DAMAGED FURTHER INBOARD. I KNOW THIS OCCURRED BECAUSE I ALLOWED MY ATTN TO WANDER. NEVERTHELESS; IN THIS PARTICULAR LOCATION; THE FENCE IS RIGHT ALONG THE EDGE OF THE TARMAC; YET THERE IS A LARGE OPEN GRASSY AREA BEYOND IT. ALSO; THERE IS BUT 1 ROW OF PAINTED T'S RIGHT ALONG THE EDGE OF THE TARMAC; AGAINST THE FENCE; YET THERE IS A MASSIVE PAVED AREA AHEAD OF IT; WELL CLR OF ANY TXWYS. I WOULD SUGGEST THAT RELOCATING THE FENCE AWAY FROM THE PAVEMENT AND/OR THE TIE-DOWN SPACES AWAY FROM THE FENCE WOULD IMPROVE THE SAFETY OF ACFT OPS; MAINTAIN PUBLIC SAFETY; AND PREVENT THIS SIT FROM RECURRING. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT SINCE HER ENCOUNTER SHE HAS HEARD OTHER PLTS COMPLAIN OF NEAR MISSES WITH FENCE. STATED THAT IF THERE HAD BEEN OTHER PLANES AROUND THE FENCE PROX WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE APPARENT; BUT THERE WERE NO OTHER PLANES AT THAT TIME. ENCOURAGED BY ANALYST TO SPEAK TO ARPT MGR REGARDING SIT.