On September 16, the US Coast Guard held a hearing regarding the investigation into the cause of the accident of the Titan submersible in the Atlantic Ocean on June 18, 2023, according to AFP. The ship was carrying 5 people to visit the wreck of the legendary Titanic and all died.
According to reconstructed video footage of the ship's journey before the explosion, the last words spoken by those on board were "everything is good here." At that time, the crew on the Titan submersible communicated by text message with personnel on the support ship Polar Prince on the surface.
Titan submersible tragedy hearing reveals safety concerns
Communications were lost after several exchanges about the depth and weight of the submersible as it descended, according to The Guardian. The Polar Prince sent a series of repeated messages asking if Titan could see the mothership on its screen. One of the last responses before the signal was lost was “all good here”.
New images of the wreckage on the seabed were also released by the US Coast Guard during the hearing. The images show the bow of the ship plummeting straight to the seabed at a depth of 3,776.6 meters.
Titan submersible on a diving trip
During the hearing, the submersible's chief engineer, Tony Nissen, said he was under pressure to ensure the vessel was ready for departure and refused to take the wheel. "I'm not going in there," Nissen said he told Stockton Rush, co-founder of the company that owns the submersible and was the victim in the incident.
Image of the Titan wreck on the seabed
PHOTO: US COAST GUARD
Mr Nissen said Mr Rush was difficult to work with and often concerned about costs and schedules, among other issues. The engineer said he was “100%” under pressure to get the spacecraft ready. He revealed that Titan was struck by lightning during a test in 2018 and that the hull may have been damaged.
Mr Nissen was fired in 2019. He said he had told Mr Rush that the Titan “wasn’t working like we thought it would.”
The ship was extensively tested and adjusted before diving to explore the Titanic. Mr. Nissen refused to pilot the ship because he did not trust the operating team.
Mr. Nissen insisted that he was not pressured by his boss to ignore safety and testing standards to get the ship completed on time and on budget.
According to The Guardian , the hearing is expected to last two weeks and many other witnesses will be invited to speak.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/cong-bo-tin-nhan-cuoi-cung-va-hinh-anh-cua-titan-tau-lan-xau-so-185240917074041922.htm
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