What happened
During a takeoff climb at approximately 200 feet AGL, a Piper towplane was engaged in towing a Schweizer SGS 2-33 glider when the aircraft experienced a sudden loss of altitude. According to the towplane pilot, the aircraft abruptly pitched down, leading to a descent that could not be recovered before the aircraft struck the ground. There were no injuries reported.
Simultaneously, the glider pilot reported encountering an updraft during the climb. This upward air current caused the glider to accelerate and climb despite attempts at corrective action. The glider pilot noted that upon releasing the towrope, a popping sound was heard, followed by a significant pitch-up maneuver. The glider's airspeed increased to 105 mph, and the nose pitched up to an angle between 50 and 60 degrees. The glider reached an altitude of approximately 650 feet AGL before slowing to 50 mph, at which point the pilot performed a landing.
Findings
The investigation into the incident highlighted several factors regarding the glider pilot's experience. While the pilot held 17 hours of total time in gliders, they had not operated a glider for approximately two years prior to the accident. Additionally, this flight marked the pilot's third flight of the day and their first solo flight without an instructor present.