The Titan lost contact with its surface ship on Sunday. Credit: American Photo Archive/Alamy/PA
OceanGate's chief executive officer was reportedly warned by leaders in the submersible industry that the company's «experimental approach» could lead to «minor to catastrophic» problems.
The warning came in a 2018 Stockton Rush letter obtained by the New York Times.
In the meantime, it emerged that OceanGate was involved in a complex legal case in 2018 with a former employee who claimed there were security issues.
Court documents filed in Snohomish County, Washington, have seen The Telegraph reveal that David Lochridge, a British diving pilot, has been hired as Director of Marine Operations.
At a meeting on January 19, 2018, he stated that the company should «obtain a hull scan» to «detect potential defects» rather than «rely on acoustic monitoring», according to the documents.
He refused to accept R&D plans and did not authorize manned testing without a scan.< /p>
Mr. Lochridge was terminated and then OceanGate filed a breach of contract case against him, which he denied.
< p>The company accused him of «discussing OceanGate confidential information with Occupational Health and Safety Administration officials when he filed a false report claiming he was fired in retaliation for the exposure.» The case was ultimately settled out of court.
On Tuesday, as rescuers continued to search for the missing ship and the five on board, passengers revealed details of the tiny OceanGate submarine's previous voyages and said it frequently lost contact with the surface .
“You sign a massive waiver that lists, one by one, that you could die on the journey,” recalls Mike Reiss, a TV reporter who boarded the Titan submersible last year. '.
“They mention death three times. the first page, and therefore it is never far from your mind. You're trying to put it out.»
David Pogue, a journalist who filmed his descent for the American CBS network last year, told viewers that the documents said the «experimental vessel» had not been approved «by any regulatory organ and can result in bodily injury, emotional injury, or death.”
David Pogue, who traveled on Titan last year, said the documents were not approved. by any regulatory body. Photo: CBS.
Mr. Reiss said that he had made three dives, and each time the connection was lost.
He said, “You are very passionate about how easy it is. We went down and were about 500 meters from the Titanic, but it was pitch dark down there. The radar or compass has stopped working.
«We spent most of our time down there, just twirling around trying to find the biggest thing in the ocean, but we couldn't see it.»
p>
Mr. Pogue said he was also on on a surface vessel when it lost contact with the submarine.
Passengers said that on previous trips, the Titan was transported on an oil rig research vessel from St. miles from the Titanic's resting place.
Tourists are at the mercy of the Atlantic weather, even if they paid up to US$250,000 (£195,000) each. If the waves are too big, dives are canceled and missions are cancelled.
If weather permits, two crew members and three passengers board a tunnel that is slightly larger than a minivan. The walls are five inches thick carbon fiber with titanium caps at each end. The interior is simple, just one button and a screen on the wall.
Passengers are closed in a pipe from the outside, as 17 bolts are installed. Despite all the technology of the expedition, everything inside the Titan is simple. There is a single button and a screen on the wall. Passengers take off their shoes and sit cross-legged on the floor.
Inside the Titan Submersible 2106 Titan Submersable
There is a small toilet at the front of the boat that is “twice the best seat in the house. ”, according to the OceanGate web page, which is no longer available online.
When the toilet is in use, they put up a curtain and «turn up the music.»
Guests are advised to change their diet before travel.
«This is an experimental submarine,» Mr Rush told a BBC documentary last year. “People are being told that it is very dangerous there. This is not your grandfather's submarine.
“We launch the submarine with this game controller. It's made by Logitech, but it's basically a Sony PlayStation style controller. If you want to go forward, you press forward. If you want to go back, you press back.
Titan is installed on a raft and descends from a research vessel. The raft sank and the Titan kicked off, ready to free-fall to the sea floor from 12,800 feet.
Loss of contact with the surface is 'normal'
Oisin Fanning, a previous passenger, said: «This is a marvel [underwater boat] can do what it does when you look at it, because you look at it, it is very small. It looks like it's connected to a piece of string, but obviously it's not. But it's exciting.”
A surface vessel must guide the Titan to find the Titanic using text messages sent from above. However, previous passengers said that loss of contact with the surface was common.
Round trips can take eight or 10 hours, passengers reported. Oxygen supplies are provided by carbon dioxide scrubbers that clean the air, but there are also emergency scuba gears under the floor.
Passengers said they were told the ship had at least seven different ways to get back to the surface if there were problems.
Свежие комментарии