What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Glider center wing section failed on a tow. Impacted near vertical. Wood wing had interior rot. Over gross weight. (-23) glider wing center section failed adjacent to right hand fuselage attach point while being towed. Tow plane felt hard pulls and released tow cable. Tow plane could not contact glider by radio. Glider contacted ground almost vertical and inverted. Right wing found 2 blocks away tip up in bank of creek. Canopy and tow rope not found. Tow hook on glider found attached but bent. Aircraft assembly hardward showed signs of moisture accumulation (rust). Aircraft of wooden construction. Section of wing center section spar shipped to NTSB for analysis. Secondary pilot is the tow plane pilot.
As the FAA filed it
GLIDER CENTER WING SECTION FAILED ON A TOW. IMPACTED NEAR VERTICAL. WOOD WING HAD INTERIOR ROT. OVER GROSS WEIGHT. (-23) GLIDER WING CENTER SECTION FAILED ADJACENT TO RIGHT HAND FUSELAGE ATTACH POINT WHILE BEING TOWED. TOW PLANE FELT HARD PULLS AND RELEASED TOW CABLE. TOW PLANE COULD NOT CONTACT GLIDER BY RADIO. GLIDER CONTACTED GROUND ALMOST VERTICAL AND INVERTED. RIGHT WING FOUND 2 BLOCKS AWAY TIP UP IN BANK OF CREEK. CANOPY AND TOW ROPE NOT FOUND. TOW HOOK ON GLIDER FOUND ATTACHED BUT BENT. AIRCRAFT ASSEMBLY HARDWARD SHOWED SIGNS OF MOISTURE ACCUMULATION (RUST). AIRCRAFT OF WOODEN CONSTRUCTION. SECTION OF WING CENTER SECTION SPAR SHIPPED TO NTSB FOR ANALYSIS. SECONDARY PILOT IS THE TOW PLANE PILOT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.