all the above cut-----no one has mentioned that perhaps due to the gliders
position---"high and to the right" that the tow plane pilot may have well
thought it had released. What does the tow plane do when the glider releases?
Banks left. Just what it did. Ok, now having done that he ends up in a dive
with enough pull on the tow rope that he can not bring the tail down to get her
out of the dive. Who knows? I do know there have been tow pilots that thought
the glider was gone when in fact it was not. I had a tow a while back where
the glider pilot lost track of the airports location (it was right under him)
I looked all over for the glider and even thought the glider pilot had had a
"heart event". After a while he came back into view. He was not a student and
was flying solo. After he landed we had a little talk. I pointed out to him
that from the time my wheels leave the ground, be it in a sailplane or the tow
plane , I "KNOW" where the airport is. No need to have to look for it and I
mentioned he might train himself to do the same. I also told him the only
"worse" tow I ever had was a 10 year old, non student, girl some CFI decided to
let fly the glider. Both of these flights came near to me cutting them loose.
Anyway seldom does anyone know for sure what went down in a fatal event like
this. Fly safe---Mac