Titan disaster: report exposed gross violations, intimidation and criminal negligence by the CEO of OceanGate
The tour operator responsible for the Titan submersible, which tragically imploded near the Titanic wreckage, "used intimidation tactics ... to avoid regulatory scrutiny", a critical US Coast Guard investigation report has concluded.
The chief executive of tour operator OceanGate Expeditions, Stockton Rush, and French national Paul-Henri Nargeolet, were also killed in the incident.
The report said OceanGate had a "toxic workplace environment" and used the "looming threat of being fired" to prevent staff from coming forward with safety concerns.
It added that analysis revealed a "disturbing pattern of misrepresentation and reckless disregard for safety".
The report also state that Stockton Rush would have faced criminal action - had he not died
’Bad attitude’
The report criticised OceanGate’s design and testing processes and the continued use of the Titan submersible despite "a series of incidents that compromised the integrity of the hull and other critical components".
The tour operator’s former director of engineering was reported by the US Coast Guard to have said the first hull used on the Titan submersible was akin to a "high school project".
According to the report, a contractor hired by OceanGate in 2022 voiced "numerous safety concerns" to a company director, before being told: "You have a bad attitude, you don’t have an explorer mindset, you know, we’re innovative and we’re cowboys, and a lot of people can’t handle that."
On Tuesday, the US Coast Guard published a 335-page report in which identified eight "primary causal factors" that led to the fatal implosion.
The report criticised OceanGate’s design and testing processes and the continued use of the Titan submersible despite "a series of incidents that compromised the integrity of the hull and other critical components".
It says the boss of the company which ran the sub - who was among the dead - was also negligent.
’Intimidation tactics’
Authored by lead investigator Thomas Whalen and marine board chairman Jason Neubauer, it read: "For several years preceding the incident, OceanGate leveraged intimidation tactics, allowances for scientific operations, and the company’s favourable reputation to evade regulatory scrutiny.
"By strategically creating and exploiting regulatory confusion and oversight challenges, OceanGate was ultimately able to operate Titan completely outside of the established deep-sea protocols, which had historically contributed to a strong safety record for commercial submersibles.
L-R) French national Paul-Henri Nargeolet, father and son Shahzada and Suleman Dawood and British adventurer Hamish Harding. Picture: Family tributes
"The lack of both third-party oversight and experienced OceanGate employees on staff during their 2023 Titan operations allowed OceanGate’s chief executive officer to completely ignore vital inspections, data analyses, and preventative maintenance procedures, culminating in a catastrophic event.
"The tour operator responsible for the Titan submersible, which fatally imploded near the wreckage of the Titanic, "leveraged intimidation tactics ... to evade regulatory scrutiny", the investigation report has concluded.
The report also stated that Stockton Rush would have been criminally liable for the deaths and would have faced action had he not been killed.
"The MBI concluded that Mr. Rush, in his dual role as CEO and as the acting Master or Pilot of the TITAN submersible, exhibitednegligence that contributed to the deaths of four individuals.
"As both a corporate executiveresponsible for the vessel’s operation and its Master during the casualty, Mr. Rush may havebeen subject to criminal liability under the standards set forth in 18 USC § 1115.
"It is important to note that the determination of whether any crime was committed would be madeby the DoJ following its own investigation and analysis, which will not occur in this instancedue to the death of Mr. Rush.
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