http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/8150639.stm

Doesn't look like a dead stick. May be the pilot is too late to recover from that spin. Same happens in model aircrafts too.

The smoke pattern suggested at least some sputtering on the power system.  That may have caused the inability to gain enough altitude.

I think the smoke is from the smoke system (for effects) and not the engine exhaust. It seems the pilot is kind of confused at the last moment as he desperately tried to pull up on the stick. Inertia of the airplane finally won against the control surfaces.

If he was messing with the smoke system instead of flying the plane, not sure what to say 

I had a real life dead stick recently, it was scary , pulled it off, though

PS
Reviving old post

On which plane?

I would recommend answering the above question on PM, unless it is a non-combat aircraft

 

relight!  relight !  relight!  oh damn why its not starting! this is nightmare of pilot!
what do say wingco?

what if on finals and the whole thing is on video, i wonder

on finals somehow ok! what if on takeoff! only one word "EJECT EJECT EJECT"!
my boss (ex-airforce) used to tell a story of Hawker Hunters! hit a relight n hold eject sleev! wait for engine start!

who (UR Boss, might know him), flew that bird too, early 90's, what a pleasure, shall one day fly the RC ver, Insha'Allah

Another one

a friend of mine landed on a lake bed near Tambaram , back in the nineties FBC might know