Titan sub hearings live: Engineer testifies OceanGate CEO was closed off to criticism in years before deadly implosion
The hearings on the Titan submersible disaster resumed today, as a long-time sub expert testified that Stockton Rush was not open to criticism or hearing the word “no” leading up to his death.
“I don’t think many people ever told Stockton, ‘no.’ Don’t think he understood that concept very much,” William Kohnen, CEO of Hydrospace Group Inc. and chairman of the Manned Underwater Vehicles Committee, testified on Wednesday.
Dr. Don Kramer, National Transportation Safety Board engineer, also testified on Wednesday. He analyzed newly unveiled photos of the Titan sub wreckage for the investigative board, noting where he identified damage to the hull.
Tuesday’s hearing featured Karl Stanley, the owner of a diving expedition company in Honduras and a close friend of Stockton Rush. He went on the doomed submersible with his friend in April 2019.
The Titan sub imploded last June, killing all five people on board, including Rush.
Stanley testified hearing cracking noises on the submersible and that he could pinpoint where they were coming from. He told the board that Rush was “scared” during the 2019 dive.
“It was unnerving and then when it kept happening,” Stanley testified, referring to the noises.
“It’s also a clue to me about Stockton’s psychology…he was scared,” he added.
Blog coverage to resume Thursday morning
Wednesday’s testimony before the Coast Guard Marine Board of Investigation has ended.
Blog coverage will resume when the next hearing begins on Thursday morning.
Katie Hawkinson26 September 2024 02:00
ICYMI: Watch as long-time friend of OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush testifies that Titan sub explosion was ‘expected’
Katie Hawkinson26 September 2024 01:00
ICYMI: New photos of Titan wreckage revealed
Katie Hawkinson26 September 2024 00:00
Recap: OceanGate specialist sobs as she remembers last time seeing Titan submersible crew
Katie Hawkinson25 September 2024 23:00
‘Root cause’ of Titan sub implosion unknown, engineer says
The root cause of the implosion on the Titan sub is still unknown, according to Bart Kemper, principal engineer of Kemper Engineering.
”The root cause for the implosion is indeterminate,” Kemper testified on Wednesday. “At this time, there are multiple unmitigated single-point failures…which means that all it takes is that one thing for the whole thing to go.”
Katie Hawkinson25 September 2024 22:21
Thursday testimony schedule
Testimony will resume on Thursday as the Coast Guard Marine Board of Investigation continues its inquiry into the 2023 Titan sub implosion that killed all five people on board.
Thursday’s hearing will kick off with testimony from Justin Jackson, a materials engineer at NASA. Afterward, Mark Negley of Boeing will testify. Negley once sent Rush his safety analysis of Titan’s hull, WIRED reports.
Afterward, John Winters with the Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound will give his testimony. The day will end with Lieutenant Commander Jonathan Duffett of the Coast Guard Office of Commercial Vessel Compliance.
Katie Hawkinson25 September 2024 22:00
An engineer testified the Titan sub’s hull showed signs of ‘delamination.’ What does that mean?
Much of the Titan sub’s hull showed signs of “delamination,” Dr. Don Kramer, an engineer with the National Transportation Safety Board, testified on Wednesday, citing wreckage from the 2023 implosion.
Delamination occurs when the layers of the hull begin to separate. Layers of carbon fiber were laminated, or bonded together, to create the sub’s hull.
Kramer’s testimony was accompnaied by haunting new photos of the Titan sub wreckage.
Katie Hawkinson25 September 2024 21:20
OceanGate CEO didn’t understand the word ‘no,’ engineer testified
William Kohnen, CEO of Hydrospace Group Inc. and chairman of the Manned Underwater Vehicles Committee said OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush was not open to criticism when he testified on Wednesday.
“I don’t think many people ever told Stockton, ‘no.’ Don’t think he understood that concept very much,” Kohnen said.
Rush’s long-time friend, Karl Stanley, also testified on Tuesday that the former OceanGate CEO seemed “scared” while on board his Titan sub in 2019.
Katie Hawkinson25 September 2024 20:56
Final witness of the day to testify
William Kohnen with Hydrospace Group Inc. has ended his testimony.
The final witness today is Bart Kemper, principal engineer of Kemper Engineering. His testimony is set to begin any moment.
Katie Hawkinson25 September 2024 19:55
ICYMI: OceanGate’s Titan submarine relied on ‘idiotic’ Excel spreadsheet
A hearing into OceanGate’s Titan sub, which imploded during an expedition to the wreck of the Titanic last year, revealed that its navigation system allegedly relied on team members manually inputting the coordinate data into a spreadsheet in order to track the vessel.
The incident last July killed all five people on board, including OceanGate’s CEO and co-founder Stockton Rush.
Anthony Cuthbertson25 September 2024 19:47
