What happened
On the evening of April 1, 2011, a Piper PA 28-161, registration F-GFGX, was taxiing toward the fuel station at Albertville Aerodrome following a local flight of approximately 30 minutes. The pilot, operating the aircraft solo, brought the plane to a stop on a concrete area of the apron facing a line of aircraft parked on the grass.
While performing the engine shutdown sequence, the aircraft continued to move forward, resulting in a collision with a parked DR 400.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the pilot's actions during the shutdown procedure and the physical state of the aircraft. The pilot stated that, following the engine shutdown checklist, she performed a magneto check. During this specific task, her attention was focused on monitoring the engine RPM, which led her to fail to notice the aircraft's forward movement.
While the aircraft's checklist required the parking brake to be set before shutting down the engine, the pilot could not recall if she had applied the brake during this specific stop. The investigation noted that the taxiway at the fuel station has a slight slope. A technical examination of the aircraft's braking system was conducted, and no mechanical anomalies or malfunctions were found.
Findings
- The pilot's attention was diverted by the engine RPM monitoring during the magneto check.
- The pilot failed to apply the parking brake due to an incomplete execution of the shutdown checklist.
- The aircraft was positioned on a slight gradient, which facilitated the unintended movement.