PROP STRIKE SUFFERED BY A SU29 ATP PLT DURING A LOW PASS OVER A GRASS STRIP BEING SURVEYED FOR A PLANNED LNDG NEAR BYP; TX.

Narrative

UPON ARRIVING AT A PVT GRASS AIRSTRIP; I MADE A PASS OVERHEAD TO SURVEY THE WIND AND RWY ENVIRONMENT. I THEN MADE A L-HAND PATTERN TO THE NW RWY. THE WIND WAS GUSTY FROM THE SW (APPROX 210 DEGS AT 12 KTS GUSTING TO 18 KTS). THE APCH WAS MEANT TO BRING THE ACFT TO THE FLARE AND THEN MAKE A GAR IN ORDER TO SEE WHAT VISUAL REFS I WOULD HAVE ON LNDG AND ROLLOUT; WHICH WAS MEANT FOR THE NEXT CIRCUIT. I DID NOT PERCEIVE THAT THE WIND HAD BLOWN ME RIGHT OFF THE RWY AND OVER AN ELECTRIC CATTLE FENCE THAT RAN PARALLEL TO THE RWY APPROX 51 FT R OF CTR (THE RWY IS MOWED 50 FT WIDE). THE COMPOSITE PROP STRUCK 1 OF THE FENCE POSTS; CAUSING 1 OF THE BLADES TO BREAK ABOUT 8 INCHES FROM THE HUB. THE ACFT SHOOK AS IF I HAD TOUCHED DOWN ON VERY ROUGH TERRAIN TO MY R. I MOVED THE ACFT TO THE L; AND BROUGHT THE ACFT TO A STOP ON THE RWY. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: GRASS RWY; WHICH HAS VAGUE EDGE MARKINGS AND BLIND TAILDRAGGER ACFT ON LNDG (NO FORWARD VISIBILITY). GUSTY DIRECT XWIND. A MORE CAUTIOUS APCH THAT WAS ABANDONED EARLIER MIGHT HAVE SHOWN ME THAT I MIGHT HAVE WANTED TO COME BACK ANOTHER DAY.