Thanks for that report, Pithblot. I talked to the pilot some years later, and if my memory is correct I was quite certain he said that the aircraft did several climbs and dives before control was fully regained. The incident report gives the impression the climb and descent only happened once.
Either way, it was scary. The pilot also told me he learned from his flying instructor on Tiger Moths, to roll to the nearest horizon to get the nose down if caught in an extreme nose high attitude. He said it was that teaching that saved his life that day.
As a simulator instructor on the 737, I frequently meet airline pilots who have never heard of this recovery technique; despite it being published in the Boeing 737 FCTM. This suggests too much accent on button pushing in the simulator and not enough training on basic handling skills.
