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.

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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.