HOMEBUILT SMA SUFFERS COWLING AND WING DAMAGE DUE TO BIRD STRIKE.

Narrative

I WAS APCHING ERI FROM THE S AND UNDER THE DIRECTION OF ERIE TWR. I WAS IN APPROX THE POS TO TURN A LONG BASE FOR RWY 24. THE TWR ASKED ME TO KEEP IT IN CLOSE AND TO KEEP MY SPD UP SINCE THERE WAS OTHER TFC ON LONG FINAL. AS I TURNED L ONTO MY BASE LEG; I SPOTTED A BLACK VULTURE AHEAD AT ABOUT MY 11 O'CLOCK POS AND ABOUT 50 FT ABOVE MY ALT. MY TURN CARRIED ME UNDER THE BIRD AND IT DIVED. I SWERVED TO MY R AND PULLED BACK ON THE STICK TO AVOID THE DIVING BIRD. THE BIRD APPEARED TO GO UNDER THE COWLING BUT THERE WAS A LOUD BANG. THE ENG WAS STILL RUNNING WELL AND THE PLANE WAS CTLABLE. I ANNOUNCED THAT I HAD A BIRD STRIKE AND WAS CLRED TO LAND. THE TWR ASKED IF I WANTED TO FLY BY FOR AN INSPECTION. NO DAMAGE WAS SEEN BY THE TWR. I THEN FLEW A L-HAND PATTERN AND LANDED. A SUBSEQUENT EXAM OF THE AIRPLANE SHOWED THAT THE L-HAND SIDE OF THE COWLING WAS BADLY DAMAGED AND THE LEADING EDGE OF THE L WING SHOWED A LARGE DENT AT A POINT ABOUT 8 INCHES OUTBOARD OF THE FUSELAGE SIDE. THE LEADING EDGE OF THE WING AT THIS POINT IS THE FUEL TANK. THE TANK SKIN WAS CRACKED AND THERE WAS SLIGHT LEAKAGE OF FUEL.