Yah. The launch officer was supposed to time it so the aircraft left the deck when the bow was near the top of the rise and had not started back down yet.
This fellow definitely missed it ... but it's also possible the steam pressure was slow in rising and the fragible link just didn't separate in the timeframe expected.
They hook the launch trolley onto the plane with a metal "dogbone" that is supposed to break at a predetermined force level. If the steam pressure doesn't build in about the time expected, the link can break after a rather lengthy delay. "Lengthy" can mean backwards tining for the launch. In this case, either the launch officer made a serious error or the pressure was slow building, I don't know which. You can bet your botton dollar the Navy knows, though. This isn't the kind of thing the Navy lets go uninvestigated.
It is possible some member in here knows, too.