[bonesmccoy]

I just had another thought.

If the MLG door sensors were working until 59:00 and show deployment on one sensor, we know that the MLG door was probably not down before 56:30. If the MLG door had been compromised over California, then the MLG hydraulic temp sensors would have been compromised much earlier.

This news suggests that MLG Door failure is a late event and not a contributing factor to the initial over heating experienced by OV-102 at 54-56 minutes.

[Cold Heat]

You're on the same page as myself. I see the door failing after a great deal of plasma prenetration into the area in front of the door. The latches evetually burned and the door loss began. I don't think it just popped off. (Too much pressure holding it down)

If there is debris from the door, it should be in the New Mexico desert, near the texas border.(wild educated guess)

[Thud]

I don't think the port landing gear could have deployed before the end given what was going on, though its opening right at the end, over Texas, is far more plausible than earlier deployment over California, Nevada or New Mexico. I was wrong about the wind pressure keeping the door closed. John Jamieson has explained how the effective wind pressure at that alititude and velocity was less than that experienced for the orbiter's landing speed at sea level, but there were supersonic shock waves and the 3,000 degree F temperature involved too.

I suggest we consider, though, that the port wing was rapidly breaking up at the end, starting with the leading edge and heading aft, and that the evidence of the gear box door opening, and the landing gear deploying, is better explained by the breakup reaching the gear box area.