What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On glider tow spoilers popped open. Closed. Climb higher than tow craft. Released low. Went under wires. Groundloop (-23) the pilot/owner notified this office on 04/24/97 ref: accident of 09/25/96. He stated: he was being aerotowed for his second flight of the day, when during the takeoff, the drag brakes popped open, and his altitude was low. Upon closing of the drag brakes, the altitude popped up quickly higher than that of the tow plane. He released from the tow, but had insufficient altitude, he then flew under telephone wires, struck the ground, and ground looped. The left wing trailing edge hit a tree and the tail, which broke off midway down the tail cone. The investigation was conducted at the pilots residence. The aircraft was stored in the glider's trailer.
As the FAA filed it
ON GLIDER TOW SPOILERS POPPED OPEN. CLOSED. CLIMB HIGHER THAN TOW CRAFT. RELEASED LOW. WENT UNDER WIRES. GROUNDLOOP (-23) THE PILOT/OWNER NOTIFIED THIS OFFICE ON 04/24/97 REF: ACCIDENT OF 09/25/96. HE STATED: HE WAS BEING AEROTOWED FOR HIS SECOND FLIGHT OF THE DAY, WHEN DURING THE TAKEOFF, THE DRAG BRAKES POPPED OPEN, AND HIS ALTITUDE WAS LOW. UPON CLOSING OF THE DRAG BRAKES, THE ALTITUDE POPPED UP QUICKLY HIGHER THAN THAT OF THE TOW PLANE. HE RELEASED FROM THE TOW, BUT HAD INSUFFICIENT ALTITUDE, HE THEN FLEW UNDER TELEPHONE WIRES, STRUCK THE GROUND, AND GROUND LOOPED. THE LEFT WING TRAILING EDGE HIT A TREE AND THE TAIL, WHICH BROKE OFF MIDWAY DOWN THE TAIL CONE. THE INVESTIGATION WAS CONDUCTED AT THE PILOTS RESIDENCE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS STORED IN THE GLIDER'S TRAILER.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.