the descent or not, the cabin impacted the surface of the ocean at 200 mph (320 km/h), creating a force of about 200 g's that would have killed any survivors instantly.

Conclusion:

The aftermath of the Challenger disaster brought about an intensive investigation by the Presidential Commission on the Space Shuttle Challenger Accident. Led by William Rogers, the committee included such well-known members as Neil Armstrong, Sally Ride, and Chuck Yeager. The investigation uncovered a number of troubling facts about the Shuttle program, including design flaws, mismanagement, poor communications within NASA and with contractors, and inadequate safety procedures. Most obvious of the changes to come out of the investigation were a redesign of the SRB O-ring joint seals, addition of a crew escape system, and greater restrictions on conditions in

Second, the Board finds the evidence of record indicates in-service noise exposure.  Although the Veteran's DD 214 shows that he was an administrative clerk, the Veteran in October 2012 explained that during his service in the Air Force he participated in fire arms training and was exposed to jet aircraft noise without proper ear protection.  He further stated that he served in Korea with the 58th fighter bomber wing.  His explanation is consistent with his DD 214, which shows that during his active duty service from September 1954 to March 1959 he had over 11 months of foreign service.  As such, the Board finds that exposure to acoustic trauma in service is consistent with the circumstances of his service.  38 U.S.C.A. 
§ 1154(a).