Incident Overview
The airplane impacted water following an intentional spin that was not recovered. According to the surviving student pilot, the instructor had been demonstrating a hammerhead maneuver, followed by what the student believed was a loop and then a spin. The airplane began violently spinning toward the water. The student estimated he counted seven or eight spins to the right, though he was not certain of the direction. He realized they were spinning excessively and rapidly losing altitude.
Attempted Recovery and Bailout
The instructor instructed the student to remove his feet from the rudder pedals, and the student complied. The instructor continued his attempt to stop the spin but was unsuccessful. He then called for a bailout and jettisoned the canopy. The student successfully exited the airplane and felt the vertical stabilizer rush past him. He observed the airplane impact the water below and noticed the instructor's parachute already deployed and floating in the water.
Instructor's Injuries and Parachute
Post-accident examination of the instructor's parachute revealed no anomalies that would have prevented its full deployment. The instructor sustained a deep laceration of the right upper chest extending to the right shoulder, which proved fatal. Considering that the student bailed out before the instructor, that the instructor's parachute was deployed and in the water before the student reached the water, and the nature of the instructor's injuries, it is likely that the instructor struck and became ensnared on a portion of the airplane during the bailout.
Investigation
The wreckage was not recovered; therefore, the reason for the instructor's inability to recover from the spin could not be determined.