Yes, interesting, as are some of the descriptions of the fuel pump and control continuities. Nothing indicative.
I’m astonished that there is still so much ”rumor” in aviation. The “impossible turn” nonsense, the Tomahawk death trap, “four seconds to live in a Baron after engine failure“, etc. No one (except Dan Gryder of course) knows what Russ Francis and Col McSpadden were looking at off the end of the runway. Has anyone bothered to investigate? They may have had no choice but to turn, and their turn may not have been meant to get back to the runway. No one really knows, but that has never stopped the hangar flying geniuses from jumping to conclusions and repeating “what they heard”. As a few have mentioned, it’s just a gliding turn, that can be executed depending upon if the conditions that exist will accommodate it.
I had a student in Training Command who did a paper on the runway turn back considerations. Brent Jett, MS in Aero Engineering. Flew the shuttle four times. I’m sure that you can find the paper for a start to your research.