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A fourth OceanGate witness testified at the US Coast Guard’s hearing into the disastrous deep-sea voyage to the wreck of the Titanic that saw the “catastrophic implosion” of the Titan submersible, killing all five passengers on board.
David Lochridge, former director of marine operations for OceanGate – the US submersible company that operated the expedition – testified about the so-called “red flags” surrounding the exploration on Tuesday. The witness stated that he had “no confidence whatsoever” with the Titan’s construction.
Lochridge claimed “all the standardized rules and regulations” were bypassed as the company scrambled to “push” the launch for profit-making purposes, he told the Coast Guard’s Titan Marine Board of Investigations panel.
“It was inevitable something was going to happen. It was just a [question of] when,” he added.
Lochridge is one of 10 former employees of OceanGate among the 24 witnesses giving testimony at the two-week long hearing, which will return on Thursday.
The Coast Guard also released footage of the Titan sub wreckage, showing its mangled tail cone lying on the ocean floor.
The video taken on June 22, 2023, was “conclusive evidence of the catastrophic loss” onboard the vessel, it said.
Hearings will resume on Thursday at 8.30am ET.
Our blog will be paused until then.
James Liddell18 September 2024 14:24
Schedule: Hearing returns on Thursday
8:45am – 10 minute recess
9:00am – Renata Rojas, OceanGate Mission Specialist
10:30am – 10 minute recess
1:30pm – Dr Steven Ross, former OceanGate Scientific Director
James Liddell18 September 2024 14:00
Watch: Coast Guard releases footage that provided ‘conclusive evidence’ that Titan passengers died
James Liddell18 September 2024 12:30
Newly-released footage of Titan sub wreckage surfaces
James Liddell18 September 2024 09:37
David Lochridge is released as witness
Hearings will resume on Thursday at 8.30am.
Our blog will be paused until then.
Kelly Rissman17 September 2024 21:01
Lochridge testifies that OceanGate took safety shortcuts
“The way this company was going about this project, bypassing all the standardized rules and regulations that are set in place by people with experience…they bypassed it all,” Lochridge said.
It was inevitable something was going to happen. It was just a [question of] when,” he continued.
Kelly Rissman17 September 2024 20:07
Witnesses discuss the ‘push’ to launch the vessel
Lochridge told the panel that there was a “push” to launch the Titan.
“They were very push push push to get this out the door as fast as possible so they could start making profit,” he said on Tuesday.
Earlier in the day, Lochridge said he “had no confidence whatsoever” with how the Titan was being built. “There was a big push to get this done and a lot of steps along the way were missed,” including safety concerns.
The day prior, Tony Nissen, the director of engineering, also remarked on the force felt to get the vessel to set sail.
When asked if there was “pressure” to start operations, Nissen told the panel: “100 percent.”
Kelly Rissman17 September 2024 19:30
In photos: Key moments from the hearings so far
Kelly Rissman17 September 2024 19:00
WATCH: Titan crew’s final three-word text revealed in haunting animation of submersible’s journey
Kelly Rissman17 September 2024 17:22
‘It screams like a mother before it implodes’: Rush told Lochridge, the witness recalled
When he submitted the inspection report to senior management, Lochridge said he received a message about a meeting in the board room.
“That meeting turned out to be a two-hour discussion about my termination and how my disagreements with the organization with regards to safety didn’t matter,” he told the panel.
“It doesn’t just implode. It screams like a mother before it implodes,” Rush said about carbon fiber, according to Lochridge.
The witness said the company exhibited a “total disregard for safety.”
Kelly Rissman17 September 2024 16:45
