The submersible had flaws that a former employee pointed out years ago.
(Photo: dpa)
new York Oceangate, the operator and manufacturer of the missing Titanic submersible, fired an employee in 2018 who had previously pointed out safety flaws. According to court documents, the company sued employee David Lochridge that same year for allegedly leaking confidential information in violation of his employment contract.
In fact, the trained submarine pilot and underwater inspector Lochridge had filed a whistleblower complaint with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. In return for the lawsuit against him, he himself filed a complaint against Oceangate. In it, he accuses the Washington-based company of wrongfully terminating him because his actions were aimed at ensuring the safety of passengers on the submersible Titan.
This explosive legal dispute comes to light at a time when the Navy is now also looking for the missing submersible with five passengers on board, which wanted to view the wreck of the Titanic four kilometers below the surface. According to the Navy, the deep-sea recovery system with the abbreviation “Fadoss” should arrive in the Canadian city of St. Johns in Newfoundland on Wednesday night (local time). It was initially unclear when it could reach the search area hundreds of kilometers further south.
The US Navy describes “Fadoss” as a “portable ship lifting system that provides reliable deep-sea lifting capacity of up to 27 tons for the recovery of large, bulky and heavy sunken objects such as airplanes or small ships.” The device’s winch and cable are included different sizes depending on the type and weight of the object to be lifted. “Fadoss” could only be used once the submersible had been found. So far, however, there is no trace of the “Titan”.
Oceangate itself says it is making every effort to rescue the five missing. “Our entire focus is on the well-being of the crew and every possible step will be taken to bring the five crew members back safely,” the statement said. “We are deeply grateful for the urgent and comprehensive support we are receiving from multiple government agencies and deepwater companies as we attempt to reestablish contact with the submersible.”
Ex-employee warned: The paying passengers were not aware of the risks
In Lochridge’s complaint, five years ago, the fired employee warned of the risks of diving the Titan. In his complaint, filed in a US district court, Lochridge says he had concerns with Oceangate about the safety of the Titan. and advised the company to carry out further tests on the ship’s hull.
Lochridge says he had disagreed with his employer about the best way to test the submarine’s safety. He also spoke out against Oceangate’s decision to conduct dives without the so-called “non-destructive testing.” In these “non-destructive tests” the materials are tested for their durability and reliability.
The paying passengers would not have been aware that hazardous flammable materials were used in the submersible. Nor would they have been informed of the hull’s experimental design and lack of non-destructive testing, Lochridge’s complaint said.
In particular, Oceangate is said to have installed viewing windows that were only approved to a pressure of 1300 meters, according to the lawsuit – “although Oceangate planned to take passengers down to a depth of 4000 meters”. Oceangate refused to pay the manufacturer for viewing windows for depths of up to 4,000 meters.
“Rather than address concerns, take corrective action to ensure the safety of the experimental Titan, or have a standards classification agency inspect, Oceangate did the exact opposite – they fired Lochridge immediately,” the statement said Court document: “Oceangate gave Lochridge approximately ten minutes to clear his table and vacate the premises.”
Oceangate’s lawsuit and Lockridge’s complaint were settled out of court.
With material from dpa
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