Incident Overview
A student pilot had rented an aircraft to practice basic maneuvers before a flight scheduled the following day with his instructor to receive endorsement for a check ride. Witnesses in the area observed the aircraft practicing stalls. During the final maneuver, the aircraft entered a right spin which continued uncorrected until impact with the water.
Pilot's Communication
As the aircraft entered the spin, the pilot called on the UNICOM frequency: "MAC (FBO operator) I'm in trouble, I'm in a spin, I'm going down." The FBO operator ran to the UNICOM and tried to talk the pilot out of the spin.
Spin and Impact
Witnesses observed the aircraft spin a minimum of 8 to 10 turns prior to impact. No evidence was found in the pilot's logbook to indicate that he ever received a demonstration of, or training in, spin recovery.