Titan sub hearing latest: OceanGate scientific director says sub malfunctioned days before fatal voyage
Coast Guard announces ‘newly added witness’ to Titan Submersible Marine Board of Investigation’s hearing as another OceanGate mission specialist gets set to testify
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OceanGate’s former scientific director said that the Titan submersible’s platform malfunctioned just days before its fatal voyage, leaving one crew member to hanging upside-down.
Dr Steven Ross testified that he, along with other passengers, were trapped in the sub during a mission that took place in June 2023, just days before the vessel’s “catastrophic implosion” that killed all five people on board.
“The rest of the passengers tumbled about. I ended up standing on the rear bulkhead. One passenger was hanging upside down,” he said.
Earlier in the hearing, Renata Rojas, OceanGate’s mission specialist, tearfully addressed the US Coast Guard’s Titan Marine Board of Investigations panel. She talked about her role in preparing missions, her own trips down to the Titanic wreckage, and lamented the loss of her friends that died during the doomed expedition to the Titanic shipwreck.
“What we’ve all gone through is still very raw. Nothing is ever going to bring our friends back,” she said.
The Coast Guard announced a “newly added witness” to Friday’s hearing with testimonies from OceanGate mission specialist Fred Hagen, engineer from the University of Washington’s Applied Physics Lab Dave Dyer and co-founder of Triton Submarines Patrick Lahey.
In photos: Key moments from the hearings so far
Watch: Coast Guard releases footage that provided ‘conclusive evidence’ that Titan passengers died
Hearing has concluded for the day
The US Coast Guard’s hearing on the Titanic submersible tragedy has concluded for the day and will resume at 8.30am on Friday.
Former scientific director says OceanGate CEO thought Titan would be good for ‘indefinite’ dives
Steven Ross says that he once asked Stockton Rush how long the Titan would be good for until it needed refurbishments. Typically, subs need to be refurbished after a certain number of dives because of the pressures at deep levels.
But, Rush told Ross he thought his design would be good for “indefinite” trips to the Titanic wreckage.
Steven Ross is avoiding making direct answers
Testimony from the former scientific director is vague. He is avoiding giving direct answers to questions presented to him by the panel.
Ross describing a dive that was aborted in June 2023
During one dive Ross was on, the platform malfunctioned.
Five people were inside the Titan and the seas were not calm. It took an hour to let those on board get out of the water.
“There’s nothing to hold onto inside the submersible really. It’s a fairly smooth tube,” he said.
“The pilot crashed into the rear bulkhead. The rest of the passengers tumbled about. I ended up standing on the rear bulkhead. One passenger was hanging upside down. The other two managed to wedge themselves into the bow end cap.”
He spoke to Stockton Rush about the issue, but could not recall OceanGate conducting an assessment of the Titan hull after the incident.
Steven Ross says he aware of a theory about a ‘loud noise’ during dive
During one OceanGate dive, the crew heard a “loud noise” that the crew speculated came from the shifting of the pressure steel its metal cradle when it popped back into place.
Ross says OceanGate had “multiple agendas”
During most of his scientific career, the focus on expeditions primarily focused on science, but Ross says OceanGate had “multiple agendas,” notably going to see the Titanic shipwreck.
Dr Steven Ross, former scientific director of OceanGate, testifying
Dr Stephen Ross is currently describing his background and his role working with the company.
Renata Rojas went down to see Titanic wreckage
Renata Rojas, a mission specialist went to see the Titanic. She said it had been her dream as a child to see the wreckage. She visited it with OceanGate in 2021.
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