[unspun]

Check out post #51 (or is that area 51?). Looks plausible to me. I think the failures of the left in board and left out board temperature sensors were significant, don't you? Then came the tire pressure irregularity. The man on the radio in Challenger knew there were problems and that looks like "California - time" per the original post of this thread.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/834060/posts?page=51#51

[Howlin]

The man on the radio? I think he THOUGHT something, but didn't KNOW anything.

And as that post says, there was nothing obvious until they lsot contact. Then they begin to add it up.

[unspun]

Challenger = Columbia

[Howlin]

And please see the links in #149 for an expert explanation of what he thought he might have seen.

[MississippiMan]

I think the failures of the left in board and left out board temperature sensors were significant, don't you?

Yeah, I sure have my doubts that by coincidence those sensors failed and then catastrophic airframe failure followed. Again, sheer conjecture on my part, but I have a hunch that when all is said and done we're gonna find out the tiles were the core problem, perhaps related to the incident during launch. I was also shocked to see in that Columbia photo that got posted in several threads, just how dilapidated this shuttle looked. Yes, I do know airworthiness and appearance are not necessarily related, but the thermal tiles in that photo looked like a patchwork quilt that had been mended many, many times.

MM