Warnings of ‘Catastrophic’ Problems Were Issued to OceanGate

In the race against time, search and rescue teams are frantically searching for the missing Titan submersible. However, recent news has shed light on the troubling history of concerns surrounding OceanGate Expeditions’ experimental vessel. According to the New York Times, in 2018, OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush received a warning from leaders of a submersible craft trade group regarding potentially “catastrophic” problems with the development of the Titan. Despite misleading marketing, the company had neglected to have the vessel undergo risk assessment before embarking on tours to the Titanic wreckage.

This warning was endorsed by numerous individuals, including deep-sea explorers, oceanographers, and company executives. The chairman of the Manned Underwater Vehicles committee of the Marine Technology Society, Will Kohnen, expressed his concerns about the strategy of constructing a deep-sea expedition submersible without adhering to existing classification safety guidelines. Kohnen added that Rush later contacted him, complaining that regulations were impeding innovation in the industry. The New Republic also reported that in 2018, an OceanGate employee was fired after refusing to approve manned tests of the vessel due to safety concerns.

Court documents obtained by the New Republic revealed that OceanGate sued submersible pilot David Lochridge, who had voiced his concerns about the vessel’s safety. In a counterclaim citing wrongful termination, Lochridge alleged that the company fired him to silence him and avoid addressing the safety and quality control issues he had brought up. He had emphasized the need for non-destructive testing of the vessel’s hull and highlighted the potential danger to passengers as the submersible reached extreme depths. The court documents stated that “the constant pressure cycling weakens existing flaws resulting in large tears of the carbon.”