What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
During the launch phase upon reaching 60 knots airspeed, the pilot rotated and climbed to approximately 50 feet AGL, with the same airspeed the glider would not climb and immediately began to descend. The pilot simultaneously lowered the nose and released the tow rope to land straight ahead. Immediately upon releasing, the left wing raised and the airacraft drifted right between the two runways. In spite of a full left control stick input, the glider continued to roll steeply right and at the same time the pilot had the sensation that the tail was being lifted up in an uncontrollable nose-down attitude. The aircraft struck the ground on the right wingtip, then front nose wheel, main wheel, then the tail wheel. Substantial damage was noted to the undercarriage, fuselage in front of the empennage and horizontal stabilizer. The pilot suffered minor injuries to his back.
As the FAA filed it
DURING THE LAUNCH PHASE UPON REACHING 60 KNOTS AIRSPEED, THE PILOT ROTATED AND CLIMBED TO APPROXIMATELY 50 FEET AGL, WITH THE SAME AIRSPEED THE GLIDER WOULD NOT CLIMB AND IMMEDIATELY BEGAN TO DESCEND. THE PILOT SIMULTANEOUSLY LOWERED THE NOSE AND RELEASED THE TOW ROPE TO LAND STRAIGHT AHEAD. IMMEDIATELY UPON RELEASING, THE LEFT WING RAISED AND THE AIRACRAFT DRIFTED RIGHT BETWEEN THE TWO RUNWAYS. IN SPITE OF A FULL LEFT CONTROL STICK INPUT, THE GLIDER CONTINUED TO ROLL STEEPLY RIGHT AND AT THE SAME TIME THE PILOT HAD THE SENSATION THAT THE TAIL WAS BEING LIFTED UP IN AN UNCONTROLLABLE NOSE-DOWN ATTITUDE. THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE GROUND ON THE RIGHT WINGTIP, THEN FRONT NOSE WHEEL, MAIN WHEEL, THEN THE TAIL WHEEL. SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WAS NOTED TO THE UNDERCARRIAGE, FUSELAGE IN FRONT OF THE EMPENNAGE AND HORIZONTAL STABILIZER. THE PILOT SUFFERED MINOR INJURIES TO HIS BACK.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.