Safety of winch launch vrs. aero tow?

"Eric Greenwell" wrote in message
.. .
In article , mowry86
@hotmail.com says...
Beware of the raw statistics.

How about this one:

100% of 2003 US glider fatalities occur after aerotow.

Sounds like a good tag line for a winch manufacturer advertisement

Unfortunately, not true: some have occurred after self-launch, and I
know there have been some ground launch fatalities (how recently, I
can't remember)
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Eric Greenwell
Richland, WA (USA)

The following occured in the launch phase

Two fatals I'm aware of. A homebuilt failed structurally in a winch launch
in Colorado some years ago and apparently another homebuilt crashed in North
Carolina in the past couple of weeks on auto tow. Not clear whether the NC
accident pilot was even trained in ground launch. Perhaps someone in that
neck of the woods can offer more information.

A Russia was damaged in Wyoming a few years back on auto tow at a private
ranch strip, however, the grapevine reported the pilot had no specific
ground launch training and cart-wheeled the glider. IIRC, it was properly
repaired and sold.

A sometimes RAS poster was seriously injured in a winch launch accident
involving a Phoebus C in Georgia a few years ago. (stalled all-flying tail
to excessive pitch-up to wing stall, wing-drop, and rolled inverted to
impact)

Any others? Certainly there have been a few at Torrey Pines over the
decades, though environmental factors have been a big player there.

Frank Whiteley