dozzywannabe:
Anyone who has flown 737's or anything with underwing mounted engines notices the first flight that if you add power the nose goes up...conversely reducing power makes the nose go down.
A basic concept of holding pitch would be...throttles forward, yoke forward, throttle back, yoke back.
The pitch up you mentioned was also caused by the way the leading edge devices were set back in those days...the british had even noticed that in icing conditions with flaps less than 15degrees, the pitch up could be bad.
The first officer/copilot did notice something wrong and called it out...the young pilot, who didn't know jack, could have looked at N1 which should have been in the high 90's%. There seems to have been a lack of checklist discipline, whether by poor design or misunderstanding. Firewalling the engines and pushing forward on the Yoke might have saved them...but they didn't try.
I made mention of a TV movie depicting the events, and even with dramatic license, the point should be well made.
AS to the modern engines, protected with computers and dippers and limiters, it is too bad. But, as Iunderstand it, a reduced power takeoff has procedures associated with it. One of them demands full power if an engine fails (two engine plane), of course the 747 is a 4 engine plane and if a simple engine failure had happened little required.
However, any time you are not performing as expected on takeoff, one might want to check the flap position (including leading edge) and throttles forward...and if that ain't working, what the hell, push the throttles to the stop.
I haven't flown the 747 which I mentioned earlier, but I have flown enough planes to know that if the power is right and the performance isn't right...you have a few seconds to figure things out.
I suggest to boeing, that some sort of takeoff over ride switch be fitted to command the slats/leading edge devices to remain extended on takeoff. Pilot presses button prior to takeoff...hey plane, I'm going to takeoff so don't retract the slats no matter what!!!