Glider pilots are taught, when being winch launched, that a gentle climb angle should be maintained until at least 200ft above the ground for the very reason that Pilot DAR describes. A loss of 'thrust' either due to a cable break or a winch failure can easily leave the glider nose up and rapidly losing energy if too steep a climb angle is attempted too close to the ground, with insufficient height to regain flying speed even with an immediate application of full down elevator. The British Gliding Association consider it such a high risk stage of the launch that low level cable breaks are 'demonstration only' for pre-solo pilots. Instructors are not encouraged to 'pull the bung' on trainees until further up the launch.
Any low energy and/or high drag aircraft would be in the same position if attempting a steep climb out and an immediate loss of thrust was experienced (e.g. propeller coming off). I suspect most pilots think in terms of a loss of thrust being something gradual, which would give them time to react before they become an involuntary glider pilot. Sadly this is not always the case.
I wouldn't want to be this pilot if his prop went solo:
Last edited by Mechta; 7th July 2014 at 00:52.