[freepersup]

I just watched this repeatedly (not that any additional viewings changed my mind) and it appears that the nose is pointed away from the viewer. Knowing the direction of flight / descent was west to east, the nose appears to be facing south.

What is wrong is the fact that the ceramic surface is not being presented to the relative wind / angle of attack. THIS IS BAD

The side of the shuttle is exposed to the re-entry heat as opposed to the tiled underside. This would account for the loss of sensors in the left wing first. The aircraft was literally burning up on it's left side.

NASA will find this evidence very useful in it's investigation. Perhaps dispelling the prime (albeit premature theory) that the ice or insulation striking the left wing on launch was the culprit.

One caveat- The damage could have taken place on launch and caused the shuttle to lose tiles on re-entry, resulting in heat damage which then caused the shuttle to lose flight control which put the shuttle in the flight attitude we see on the video. The shuttle attitude is 90 degrees to it's flight path, VERY VERY WRONG in light of the surface temperatures encountered on re-entry.

[Lady Jag]

[BenLurkin]

Manuevering rocket malfunction?
Software "glitch"/Hacking?
Pilot error? (Was re-entry automtated?)
What other causes might there be?

[Thud]

ping

[Thud]

Looks like Columbia went from a 57 degree bank to going sideways, left wing forward, while on a horizontal plane. Is that a 90 degree bank?

Re-entering with the left wing forward would certainly explain the burn-through starting there. I don't know if that is what happened, though. Did it leave the 57 degree bank due to other problems, most likely a burn-through, or did the loss of control cause the burn-through?