Who said 'never let the facts get in the way of a good story'.
Talking about aerotow upsets, the worst I ever saw, which took place before neither plane had really left the ground, was at the World Championships at South Cerney in June 1965. All the towing was by Chippys provided by the RAF as the airfield being used belonged to them. There was this American pilot (of some fame as far as cross countries went) who right after the 'all out' on his tow must have thought he was having a winch launch as he hauled back on the stick (we could see his elevator full up) and lifted to towplane's tail right off the deck while he was still accelerating. The tuggy did his best to combat this, but our intrepid Yank continued hauling back, and eventually broke the back of the Chipmunk! Never heard who paid for that.
The glider pilot was Swiss Marcus Ritzi. He brought his own Elfe S3, and one highly modified by the designer, which he flew in the practice week, and it had a 'compromise'release under the instrument panel. Marcus reverted to his own for he competition, as he felt more at home and the other seemed no better. His glider had a nose aerotow release, and a C of G winch one. In the hurry to launch, his crew attached the wrong one, and full down elevator (which most of us at the launch point saw) didn't overcome the pitch up moment. Both pilots released, but the Chipmunk was too low, and too nose down to avoid a 'heavy landing'. BeBe Sharman, the tug pilot, presented Marcus with a souvenir photo.
There were many other good stories from South Cerney; the Operational Orders which the typist wrote as ' The glider and tug pilot must have not fewer than ten toes between them' which gave rise to speculation on what other physical or mental handicaps they might have; the Indian pilot who arrived with a lady assumed to be his wife until the real one turned up....
Probably suitable for a different thread elsewhere.