What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The aircraft took off from the Alpine airpark, Wyoming airport with another aircraft to enter and practice an aerobatic routine in an approved temporary aerobatic practice area. Both aircraft performed the routine with no issues. The second aircraft stayed in the aerobatic practice area for a solo routine for approximately 5 minutes. The second aircraft left the aerobatic practice area and the subject aircraft entered to start its solo routine practice. He performed several maneuvers with no visible issues witnessed. He then climbed to approximately 6500 feet and entered into a left-hand flat spin. The aircraft performed 5 complete rotations before starting to recover from the maneuver. The aircraft made a slight right turn prior to impacting the water. The aircraft was submerged except the left wingtip and the top of the vertical tail. A boat was able to get to the aircraft and removed the pilot from the aircraft. The boat brought the pilot as close as they could to shore and then they offloaded the pilot onto a paddleboard to bring him the rest of the way to shore where cpr was started.
As the FAA filed it
THE AIRCRAFT TOOK OFF FROM THE ALPINE AIRPARK, WYOMING AIRPORT WITH ANOTHER AIRCRAFT TO ENTER AND PRACTICE AN AEROBATIC ROUTINE IN AN APPROVED TEMPORARY AEROBATIC PRACTICE AREA. BOTH AIRCRAFT PERFORMED THE ROUTINE WITH NO ISSUES. THE SECOND AIRCRAFT STAYED IN THE AEROBATIC PRACTICE AREA FOR A SOLO ROUTINE FOR APPROXIMATELY 5 MINUTES. THE SECOND AIRCRAFT LEFT THE AEROBATIC PRACTICE AREA AND THE SUBJECT AIRCRAFT ENTERED TO START ITS SOLO ROUTINE PRACTICE. HE PERFORMED SEVERAL MANEUVERS WITH NO VISIBLE ISSUES WITNESSED. HE THEN CLIMBED TO APPROXIMATELY 6500 FEET AND ENTERED INTO A LEFT-HAND FLAT SPIN. THE AIRCRAFT PERFORMED 5 COMPLETE ROTATIONS BEFORE STARTING TO RECOVER FROM THE MANEUVER. THE AIRCRAFT MADE A SLIGHT RIGHT TURN PRIOR TO IMPACTING THE WATER. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBMERGED EXCEPT THE LEFT WINGTIP AND THE TOP OF THE VERTICAL TAIL. A BOAT WAS ABLE TO GET TO THE AIRCRAFT AND REMOVED THE PILOT FROM THE AIRCRAFT. THE BOAT BROUGHT THE PILOT AS CLOSE AS THEY COULD TO SHORE AND THEN THEY OFFLOADED THE PILOT ONTO A PADDLEBOARD TO BRING HIM THE REST OF THE WAY TO SHORE WHERE CPR WAS STARTED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.