What happened
After completing a preflight inspection, the pilot returned to the office to pay tie-down fees for a three-day period. Upon returning to the aircraft, the pilot started the engine and contacted ground control to request taxi instructions. However, the pilot found that the aircraft could not move because the nosewheel chock remained in place.
A non-pilot passenger, the pilot's wife, volunteered to remove the obstruction. She exited the aircraft from the right side and walked in front of the right wing toward the nose gear. As she attempted to remove the chock from the right side of the nose gear, positioned aft of the propeller, she was struck by the propeller. The pilot reported hearing and feeling a slight thud near the propeller area, prompting him to shut down the engine and exit the aircraft.