On Monday, March 22, 2021 at 10:50:24 AM UTC-6, Aldo Cernezzi wrote:
I suggest everyone have a look at this accident report from France.
It is significant and unusual, as a tow operation lead to a violent groundloop with the sailplane landing inverted, as in a classic and tragic winch accident.
The reason is most probably to be found in the strong headwind.
The accident started with a wing drop, and was irrecuperable within 3 seconds.
The French text shouldn't be a big issue, as the photographic sequence illustrates the event very well and is self-explanatory (especially if you look at the time stamp of each picture.

https://www.bea.aero/uploads/tx_elyd...f-dd140430.pdf

Safe flights,
Aldo Cernezzi
www.voloavela.it

Very interesting and worth translating.
This data point would seem to indicate higher energy tows are a higher risk of having an issue wshould a wing drop occur. In this event it appear the strong headwind made it an even higher energy tow.
With that much headwind I would not have expected a wing drop as I would have expected to have good aileron and rudder control immediately. But as the report hints to, the combination of a gust and the prop wash may have overpowered the controls.

Thanks for posting.

Brian