(StraightNews.org) – An expert has revealed a series of design flaws in the ill-fated Titan submersible, which imploded underwater on June 18 killing everyone on board. The vessel, owned and operated by OceanGate Expeditions, was on its way to visit the shipwreck of the Titanic when the tragedy occurred. Investigations into the cause are ongoing but Aaron Amick, a former US Navy submariner, has offered some clues as to what may have gone wrong.
Among the flaws is the lack of sufficient gas measurement capacity inside the vessel. Amick says the design means gases such as carbon dioxide cannot be removed from the cabin without surfacing and undoing the main entrance. He called this “ridiculous and unsafe.”
Amick also points to the inability to open the vessel with speed, and significantly, he suspects it underwent very little pressure testing. He said at a depth of 4,000 feet, a vehicle made of the carbon fiber used in Titan would crush under the pressure, and this was likely tested theoretically rather than practically, and by inexperienced technicians.
The safety of the vessel has become a hot topic in the days following the announcement of the accident and the death of those on board. OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, who died in the incident, reportedly had a blasé attitude toward safety and said it stifled innovation. “You know, at some point, safety just is a pure waste. I mean, if you just want to be safe, don’t get out of bed,” Rush said.
The CEO and adventurer also discussed the staff he preferred to hire. He spoke negatively about having “50-year-old white guys” on his team because these are not inspirational. He preferred younger and more inexperienced people to work at OceanGate.
Titan departed for the Titanic shipwreck on June 18 and lost contact with the surface around two hours afterward. Parts of the vessel were found on the ocean floor four days later, approximately 1,600 feet from the bow of the Titanic.
Copyright 2023, StraightNews.org
