Incident Overview
On a local flight at Asheville Regional Airport (AVL) in Asheville, North Carolina, an aircraft struck a fence after the parking brake was prematurely released. The flight had concluded with an uneventful instrument landing system (ILS) approach to runway 16 and a normal taxi-in.
Crew Statements
The First Officer (FO) reported that after parking in front of the "Bulk Hangar" facing south, the crew performed the normal shutdown checklist. The FO informed the Pilot-In-Command (PIC), who is his son, of his intention to exit the cockpit and open the main cabin door to secure the aircraft with chocks. As the FO moved toward the door, he noticed the aircraft beginning to roll and alerted the PIC. The PIC re-entered the left seat and attempted to stop the aircraft but could not prevent it from contacting the fence, as the hydraulic pressure was in a "diminished state."
Contributing Factors
The FO stated that he believes the PIC mistakenly released the parking brake, which had been set during the normal shutdown checklist. The FO speculated that the PIC assumed the FO had already opened the door and placed chocks. The PIC declined to provide a statement to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) or the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Reporting Status
Both the PIC and FO were requested to submit NTSB Form 6120.1 Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident/Incident Report within ten days. As of the time of this report, the required forms had not been received by the NTSB.