What happened
The pilot was operating an aircraft at an altitude of approximately 1,000 feet above the terrain. At this point, the pilot released a towed glider. Immediately following the release, the pilot initiated a descending turn, directing the aircraft away from the glider and toward a nearby ridge.
During the maneuver, the pilot attempted to pull back on the flight controls to arrest the descent or adjust the pitch attitude. The pilot reported that there was no initial response from the controls. As the situation deteriorated, the pilot applied significant back pressure on the control column. This action caused the aircraft to enter a spin.
The pilot managed to recover from the spin in time to avoid a catastrophic impact with the ground but struck the tops of trees approximately 100 feet above the surface.