DG-600 stall and spin on winch launch as cable slackened

The pilot of a DG-600 was fatally injured in a stall and spin from a winch launch at Ridgewell; aircraft destroyed. The glider rotated into a steeper-than-normal full climb with reducing airspeed; the winch operator reduced throttle as cable load increased and engine rpm dropped. At about 90-105 m AGL with a markedly nose-high attitude the cable slackened, but the climb angle was not reduced. The glider yawed right, dropped the right wing and entered a right-hand spin as the cable released, with insufficient height to recover. The DG-600 has documented sharp-edged stall characteristics with minimal natural warning before the break.

1. Winch launch from RWY 23 at Ridgewell: The pilot took a winch launch from RWY 23 at Ridgewell in light wind and good visibility, flying his own DG-600 with 18 m wingtip extensions, on which he had several thousand hours.
2. Climb steeper than normal: The ground roll and acceleration were normal but the glider rotated into a full climb at a pitch attitude steeper than expected. During the climb witnesses perceived the airspeed reducing.
3. Cable load up, winch rpm drops: The high climb load on the winch cable caused the winch engine rpm to fall; the operator reduced the throttle to let it recover, expecting the pilot to lower the nose and climb angle.
4. Cable slackens at ~100 m AGL, nose-high: At approximately 90-105 m AGL the winch pull reduced and the cable slackened. The glider was at a markedly nose-high attitude; the climb angle was not reduced.
5. Right yaw and wing drop into right spin: The glider yawed right, the nose dropped, and the cable separated; the right wing dropped and it entered a right spin too low to recover from, consistent with the type's sharp stall.
6. Impact at RWY 23; pilot fatally injured: The glider continued spinning to ground impact near the left edge of RWY 23. Aircraft destroyed; pilot fatally injured.