The following extracts come from multiple years of SSF(Soaring Safety
Foundation) Safety Reviews. See the reports for more details on each
of the
accidents.

http://www.soaringsafety.org/prevention/reports.html

The SSF does not know how many hours or flights were flown by gliders/
tow
planes so the following is raw data and not statistics.

ACCIDENTS INVOLVING TOW PLANES

2009
During FY09, one accident involving tow aircraft occurred resulting in
fatal
injuries to the pilot. The tow-plane was towing a Schweizer glider
when it
crashed shortly after takeoff.

2008
During FY08, one accident involving tow aircraft occurred resulting in
no
injuries to the pilot. As noted above, tow-plane was involved in a mid-
air
collision with the glider it had just released.

2007
During FY07, one accident involving tow aircraft occurred resulting in
fatal
injuries to the pilot. As noted above, the glider released after
noticing a
problem with the towplane. The towplane departed the right side of
the
runway and crashed while attempting to avoid trees.

2006
During FY06 only a single accident directly involved a towplane. As
noted
below, the towplane was preparing to launch when it was struck by a
landing
glider. The pilot of a Piper Pawnee (PA-25-235) was uninjured when
the
airplane was struck by a landing Grob 103 glider. The glider pilot
received
minor injuries while the passenger was uninjured. *NTSB SEA06LA163A
and
SEA06LA163B.

2005
During 2005, three accidents involving tow aircraft occurred during
the
landing phase of flight. One commercially rated and two privately
rated
pilots received no injuries as a result of these accidents, but all
three
airplanes were substantially damaged during the event.

2004
During 2004, five accidents involving tow aircraft occurred during
the
take-off phase of flight. As a result of these accidents, two pilots
were
fatally injured, two pilots received no injuries, and one pilot and
one
passenger received minor injuries. Additionally, two tow aircraft
were
destroyed and three were substantially damaged during these events.

2000-2003
Not available on the above SSF link.

1999
During 1999, four accidents involving tow aircraft were reported to
the
National Transportation Safety Board. Two of these accidents occurred
in-flight while the remaining events were divided between the takeoff
and
landing phases of flight. As a result of these accidents, two pilots
were
fatally injured and two aircraft were destroyed.

1998
During 1998, three accidents involving tow aircraft occurred during
the
takeoff phase of flight. As a result of these accidents, one pilot
was
fatally injured and two pilots received minor injuries. Additionally,
two
tow aircraft were substantially damaged and a third was destroyed.