I can understand that in a startle reaction, a pilot might yank up the nose a bit too high (INITIALLY),....
I don't understand that at all. As I, and numerous other posters said in regard to the AF447 autopilot disconnect, the thing to do is NOTHING. In AF447, instead the PF hauled back on the stick and kept it there all the way to the water.
The pilot flying is supposed to be aware of everything in the cockpit. Making precipitous control inputs is exactly the wrong thing to do. Pilots are not supposed to allow themselves to be startled. In this case, leveling the wings was the first thing to do while steadying the aircraft in pitch in yaw. Apparently this guy was not really a pilot.
