On Friday, November 22, 2013 3:00:21 PM UTC-5, wrote:
The student in front initially followed the towplane, using brake to descend. He didn't understand what was going on initially and was just trying to stay behind the towplane.

Philip Plane

I had a similar situation with a commercially rated (!) glider pilot getting a local area field check about 10 years ago. To be fair, he wasn't very current/active in gliders (he was flying helicopters for Uncle Sam), but it was pretty shocking to watch. The L-19 was slowly chewing on a valve stem and managed to choke on it at about 800 feet. I immediately saw the climb rate going to hell and was waiting a few Mississippi to see what the guy in front would do. We were rapidly gaining speed as he tried to stay in position behind the now descending towplane. I think the tow pilot was too preoccupied with his own problems to wave us off. When I pulled the release, the guy up front was completely confused. I had to talk him through the fact we had a rope break and that it might be good to set up for landing about now. After we landed, he cried foul as "the towplane didn't wave me off." Needless to say, he didn't pass the check ride.

P3