The arguments by the company, OceanGate, in the article are so strange. Paraphrasing -
We are choosing to NOT get our vessel tested by another agency because most accidents occur due to human error instead of mechanical. While their claim may have some soundness for traditional and well-tested equipment, it doesn’t mean mechanical failures cannot happen especially for completely new designs and materials.
We are testing using this new testing device that we ourselves created and are not going to use other prevalent non-destructive tests (NDT). It is perfectly acceptable to have to design new instruments for testing new materials since existing NDT instruments may be unsuitable for a new material. However, there still needs to be instrument calibration and testing, preferably by an independent body or at least peer reviewed and published, to verify that it will provide suitable evaluations. The article doesn’t mention if any of this was done.
Really unfortunate about all the people on board. It looks like some of the folks were rich so I hope the company is sued into oblivion and the leadership gets jail time for criminal negligence.
Lochridge’s recommendation was that non-destructive testing of the Titan’s hull was necessary to ensure a “solid and safe product.” The filing states that Lochridge was told that such testing was impossible, and that OceanGate would instead rely on its much touted acoustic monitoring system.
The company claims this technology, developed in-house, uses acoustic sensors to listen for the tell-tale sounds of carbon fibers in the hull deteriorating to provide “early warning detection for the pilot with enough time to arrest the descent and safely return to surface.”
Lochridge, however, worried in the lawsuit that the system would not reveal flaws until the vessel was descending, and then might only provide “milliseconds” of warning before a catastrophic implosion.
In 2019, Rush gave an interview to Smithsonian magazine, in which he said: “There hasn’t been an injury in the commercial sub industry in over 35 years. It’s obscenely safe, because they have all these regulations. But it also hasn’t innovated or grown—because they have all these regulations.”
Thanks to him we have all grown a little bit today.
Another corporation cutting corners to save money at the expense of human lives. I bet the CEO is regretting his decisions now that he is most likely in an imploded sub at the bottom of the ocean, feel bad for the others though.
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