Incident Description
A pilot seated in the right seat reported that they flew into the airport to attend a pancake breakfast. After landing, a flagman directed them to a parking spot where they came to a complete stop. Knowing they would need fuel before departing, the pilot opened the door and exited the airplane onto the wing to look for a fuel truck. The propeller was still turning when he exited.
Sequence of Events
While standing on the wing of the parked aircraft, the pilot slipped and went forward. He instinctively threw up his left arm to protect himself, resulting in him ending up on the ground with a broken left arm and a cut on his left arm. The pilot-rated passenger seated in the left seat reported that the pilot wanted to get fuel. The passenger suggested shutting the engine down and getting fuel after breakfast. Instead, the pilot pulled the throttle back to a low idle, said "leave it running, I'll catch that guy" (referring to the person who parked them), and got out of the plane. He stepped to the front of the wing and apparently slipped. The passenger saw him going off the front of the wing and immediately pulled the mixture control off, shutting down the engine. The pilot was apparently struck by the propeller, causing injury to his left arm.