PLT OF A PITT S-2A LOST CTL OF THE ACFT DURING LNDG AND WENT OFF THE L SIDE OF THE RWY AND HITTING A RWY LIGHT CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE LEADING EDGE OF THE LOWER WING.

Narrative

ON MAY/XD/01; I WAS FLYING PITTS SPECIAL MODEL S-2A FROM MGW TO JST. I HAD JUST PURCHASED THE ACFT THE PRECEDING DAY AND WAS RETURNING IT TO MASSACHUSETTS. I HAVE APPROX 403 HRS OF TOTAL TIME; OF WHICH 70 HRS ARE IN TAILWHEEL ACFT AND APPROX 9 HRS ARE IN TYPE. AFTER PERFORMING A STANDARD PREFLT INSPECTION OF THE AIRPLANE AND SYS; I DETERMINED THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS AIRWORTHY AND DEPARTED MGW FOR JST. AT APPROX XC00Z; I ARRIVED AT JST AND COMMENCED AN APCH TO LNDG ON RWY 23 AT JST. A CONVENTIONAL TFC PATTERN WAS FLOWN. ALL ACFT SYS APPEARED TO BE FUNCTIONING NORMALLY. I ENTERED THE FINAL SEGMENT OF THE APCH INTENTIONALLY CARRYING APPROX 10 KTS OF EXTRA AIRSPD DUE TO THE HIGH DENSITY ALT OF THE ARPT AT THE TIME OF LNDG. I CONTINUED TO MAKE A NORMAL APCH TO LNDG. AT APPROX THE TIME OF INITIAL CONTACT OF THE WHEELS WITH RWY 23; THE ACFT WAS LIFTED BY A XWIND GUST AND VEERED TO THE L DURING ROLLOUT. (THE GUST HAD BEEN UNEXPECTED; AS THE WINDS WERE RPTED LIGHT AND VARIABLE IMMEDIATELY PRIOR TO LNDG.) BEFORE I REGAINED DIRECTIONAL CTL OF THE ACFT; THE ACFT DEPARTED THE L EDGE OF THE RWY AND CONTACTED A RWY LIGHT WITH THE LEADING EDGE OF THE LOWER WING OF THE ACFT. I IMMEDIATELY REGAINED DIRECTIONAL CTL OF THE AIRPLANE AND RETURNED TO THE PAVED RWY. I THEN PERFORMED A 180 DEG TURN ON THE RWY AND TAXIED OFF OF THE RWY WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT.