Seems it's not unusual for people to be confused about how to get down from the wing, in at least one case people went to the wing tip. I'm pretty sure many people over 65 would be reluctant to jump even 3 foot and I wouldn't be surprised if the curvature of the flaps put people off because they "can't see the edge". Pretty sure if given a choice most peoples natural instinct is to sit on the edge of the drop with feet over it rather than slide off into the "unknown" if you get what I mean.
Jet Emergency Evacuation: 2 Pilots, 8 Crew Suspended | news.outlookindia.com
Jet Airways flight 9W2302 in August 2010...
Jency, a passenger, told reporters in Chennai that everyone had panicked when the incident occurred. "You know, we were all asked to jump from the wing side. Just because people jumped from the wing side, and it is too high, many were injured. There were many old people".
http://www.aaib.gov.uk/cms_resources...l%206-2010.pdf
Boeing 747 at Pheonix in 2009 and F28 in 2002..
Passengers who evacuated via the left overwing exit were unaware of how to get from the wing down to the ground. Two Safety recommendations are made as a result of this investigation.
The AAIB investigated an incident on 1 April 2002
(EW/C2002/4/1), in which the cabin of a Fokker F28 filled with smoke. An emergency evacuation was carried out, during which passengers using the overwing exits experienced similar problems getting from the wing to the ground. The report stated:
‘Having climbed out of the cabin, passengers disembarking from the left overwing exit were unsure of how to descend from the wing to the ground. A number congregated on the wing looking for a way down. Cabin crew eventually noticed the confusion and urged the passengers to get off the wing. Some passengers slid or jumped from the wing tip and leading edge (a drop of some 7 to 8 feet) instead of sliding off the wing trailing edge down the extended flaps.’
Safety Recommendation 2002-42
The CAA and the JAA should review the design, contrast and conspicuity of wing surface markings associated with emergency exits on Public Transport aircraft, with the aim of ensuring that the route to be taken from wing to ground is marked unambiguously.
The Civil Aviation Authority accepted the recommendation, but no response was received from the Joint Aviation Authority.