History of the Flight
The aircraft, a 1966 Piper PA-28-140 Cherokee (G-ATPN), departed Southend and landed uneventfully at Norwich Airport on 2 May 2011 at 1240 UTC. The pilot, a 58-year-old private pilot with 91 hours total (63 on type), selected one stage of flap during approach. After landing, he taxied as instructed by ATC and was marshalled onto the parking area. Following engine shutdown, the passenger exited the aircraft onto the right wing. While reaching for the hand grip to step down, she stepped on the flap, which moved downwards, causing her to fall. She sustained a serious fracture to her left leg requiring operative treatment.
Discussion
The pilot noted that the flight was his most distant "land away" since obtaining his Private Pilot's Licence, and he had been progressively attempting longer flights. This was his first landing at Norwich Airport. Runway 09 was in use with a reported wind of 0600 at 18 kt. The pilot initially considered a flapless approach but elected to use one stage of flap. He described the landing as safe but heavier than usual. Taxiing at an unfamiliar airfield and being marshalled occupied his full attention until engine shutdown. He recalled completing the 'After Landing' and 'Engine Shutdown' checks but acknowledged missing the 'Flaps UP' item. He believed the flaps were already retracted, partly because he had initially considered a flapless approach, and a quick glance out the window reinforced that belief as the flap appeared aligned with the aileron. The pilot and passenger had flown together before and were both familiar with the aircraft; the passenger had used a similar exit procedure safely on numerous occasions.
The pilot considered that the accident was the result of high workload caused by challenging conditions during landing and operating at an unfamiliar airfield, which distracted him from following the checklist properly. To prevent recurrence, he added a 'Flaps UP' item to the 'After Shutdown' section of his checklist.