After they left, titan Rebuilt with a new hull that has never been tested to industry standards or certified by an independent third party agency. Patrick Lahey, chief executive of submersible manufacturer Triton Submarines, said certifying the new hulls was not only possible but critical for safety.
“We’re developing and certifying the world’s deepest submarine at the same time they’re developing this amateur device,” he testified. “There’s absolutely no reason why they can’t get certified.”
A troubled history Titanic mission
OceanGate’s first mission Titanic In 2021, we encountered a number of issues, including titanAfter the dive, the front titanium dome fell off, the acoustic monitoring system gave worrying readings, and the thrusters failed at a depth of 3,500 meters. A coastguard evidence slide shows 70 equipment issues that need to be corrected on dives this season. The situation improved slightly the following year, with only 48 issues recorded. But they included a depleted battery that extended the mission from about seven hours to 27 hours, and damage to the submarine itself during recovery.
A dive in 2022 ended with a mysterious loud bang and a crack as it surfaced. OceanGate contractor Antonella Wilby was so concerned about the explosion that she considered alerting the OceanGate board of directors. She testified that another employee warned her that she risked prosecution if she did so. “Anyone should be free to speak about security issues without fear of retaliation, and that’s not what I’m seeing at all,” she said. “I was completely fired.”
superior titanContractor Tym Catterson admits failing to conduct safety inspections during penultimate dive in 2023; this titan It tilted at a 45-degree angle for an hour, and the boat was packed with people.
Conflicting opinions about carbon fiber hulls
There is conflicting testimony about the safety of planes titanUnique carbon fiber hull. Dyer points out that carbon fiber is ideal for a deep submersible, and Nissen is confident that computer modeling and acoustic monitoring and warning systems mean it can be used indefinitely. Lodge Ridge, Catterson and former human resources director Bonnie Carr were all more skeptical about the hull’s design and implementation. But all three admit they are not engineers.
The appearance next week of Nissen’s successor Phil Brooks, more submersible engineers and Boeing’s carbon fiber experts should resolve many of these issues. In particular, next Wednesday an engineer at the National Transportation Safety Board’s Materials Laboratory will titanThe wreckage can determine the physical cause of the implosion.
Where is the Coast Guard?
Investigators have repeatedly pointed out that titan Should be inspected by the U.S. Coast Guard before carrying paying passengers. Although OceanGate apparently contacted the Coast Guard multiple times to provide notice of its underwater operations, those questioned could not say why this was not the case.
Lodge Ridge also testified that OSHA told him in 2018 that his safety complaints had been communicated to the Coast Guard. At least one of the five U.S. Coast Guard witnesses called next week lives in Puget Sound near Oceangate headquarters and may be able to weigh in.
U.S. Coast Guard Rear Adm. John Lockwood, who joined OceanGate’s board of directors in 2013, is not on the witness list. Lodge Ridge and Carr testified that Lockwood’s role was to provide oversight and interact smoothly with the Coast Guard.
missing witness
Lockwood wasn’t the only notable absence from the witness stand. This week, multiple witnesses confirmed the key role of OceanGate employees, including Wendy Rush, Scott Griffith and Neil McCurdy, They made important business, regulatory and operational decisions throughout OceanGate’s history and on the day of the accident. No one was called to testify. No calls were made to any hull manufacturers either. The Coast Guard offered no reason other than to deny that it was because these witnesses would assert their Fifth Amendment right to refuse to answer questions.
