English isn't my first language so help me out here: Do you consider the landing gear to be part of the controls or a power setting? Please help me understand.
Yes.....every single control.
This includes the landing gear you mentioned, firing guns, every trim control from one end to the other, all of the auto modes, engine off, engine on, engine full, engine partial, + and - signs used full and in between.
Yes....all controls.
You have a very long time to try "everything" when you entered the tail straight down fall from 41,000 feet.
The conditions are a little different up there which allows you to get into the state in which you fall tail first straight down.
It's not a spin because you are not spinning.