Who knows..I already emailed McNally but will ask him about the stability. I'm guessing with the wind battering them it was bumpy..

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I don't have access to my files at the moment. the stairs work off of hydraulics and a pump can be used to raise a lower if the hydraulics fail. if the hydraulics failed, why would you need to pump fluid into the stairs to lower them? something is telling me the emergency release would get around the hydraulics allowing them into the free fall position. I recall reading once they are down you need to step on the bottom step to lock them. this could be after many years of use.

I showed a clip from the movie with the stairs not all the way down as if hydraulics were still involved and the weight couldn't pull them all the way down. the actor had to pull them down similar to what would happen when you walk down them after releasing them? the lights in the cockpit indicates when they are locked either way.

This clip shows the stairs hanging and takes the weight of the actor to bring them down. they don't lock because you see them moving when he goes up the stairs and the struts are not in place....they don't appear to be in a free fall? sparks were seen on a taxi speed indicating the stairs were dragging with 305
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Correct, but they don't slam shut or even make it to the closed position..

As for going down the stairs in flight. the wind would be pushing from underneath probably giving a bumpy ride. I'm hoping to get some answers from McNally..

Rat stated the noise started just opening the bulkhead door. no sound proofing past that door. once he released the stairs it must of really got there attention.

Hominid thinks they disabled the hydraulics for the stairs but I'm not sure that can be done inside. not a whole lot required getting the hydraulic running for system A or B. plus, it has a standby system. these tie into critical parts of the plane.

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Rat stated the noise started just opening the bulkhead door. no sound proofing past that door. once he released the stairs it must of really got there attention.

Yes. One report is deafening near the rear door - did Tina say that?

She was sent up before he opened the bulkhead door according to Rat..

I know but she is attributed with the observation - not sure the context ...

 To close the door either an electric hydraulic pump has to be turned on in the cockpit, or a hand pump beside the lower control operated while either handle is held to the close position. The door will free fall open without hydraulic pressure, but the support arms may have to be pushed to an overcenter position.

This is what I was talking about with the stairs not going all the way down and having to apply pressure to lock them.

Assuming that the air stairs were deployed, it may be that the force of the airflow passing by would have been sufficient to spare the stairs from a tailstrike. The stairs have a large surface area and moving at perhaps around 100 knots when the nosewheel touches down would still generate a considerable force to push them into the fuselage.