N881T

On October 24, 1996, at 1330 central daylight time, a Beech S35, N881T, registered to and operated by a private owner, under Title 14 CFR Part 91, sustained substantial damage during the landing near Jefferson, Texas. The private pilot was not injured and the sole passenger received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal cross country flight and a flight plan was not filed. The flight originated from Wichita Falls, Texas, at 1210.

During telephone interviews, conducted by the investigator-in-charge, and on the Pilot/Operator report, the pilot reported the following information. The flight originally departed Miami, Texas, with an en route stop at Wichita Falls where the passenger boarded the airplane. During the arrival approach at the private Manning Field Airport, the field was circled twice in order to survey the landing area. The pilot observed that the entire grass field including the runway had been mowed and the runway was not marked. Trees were observed at the approach end of the runway and an upslope of 25 degrees for the landing threshold was noted. The pilot stated that he did not see the fence parallel to runway 25 (3,000 feet long and 100 feet wide). During the landing roll, to the left of the center line of the sod/grass runway, the left wing struck the fence and a steel corner post and the wing separated from the airplane. Structural damage was also reported for the nose gear and the propeller.