Re: RAT extended, I was baffled too when I saw some pictures that showed the RAT deployed. I remembered the Landing with abnormal LG procedure and went for my QRH to have a look at it and found the note
FlightDetent mentioned and thought "oh oh, hopefully they didn't run a checklist they didn't need to". Not knowing what other indications they might have had, I went for the "benefit of the doubt" route. Let's wait and see...
It would seem that this aircraft had a similar scenario to the one
hoistop mentioned. I departed this airport the very next day, once they had removed the aircraft, and there's a single very identifiable skid mark from the very threshold...
The safety first article relates one such case of taking off with the wheels at 90 degrees, and in that instance it was because of a dispatch with NW steering inop. Maybe something similar happened in this case?