Before the death drama

Titan’s chief engineer: “Don’t get on here”

(Bild: kameraone)

More than a year after the Titan submersible imploded on its way to the wreck of the Titanic, killing five people, the crew's last radio message has been published. They apparently felt safe. A completely different feeling to that of the ship's chief engineer years earlier. He refused to pilot the boat with the words: "I'm not getting on here."

In June of the previous year, the tragedy occurred in the Atlantic with the Oceangate submersible: after contact with the Titan was broken off, it was not until days later that the sad certainty came: all five occupants had died in the depths of the ocean, the vehicle had imploded.

The Titan before the accident

(Bild: OceanGate Expeditions / AFP)

The captain's last words to the top: "All is well here"
At a court hearing in the USA, further details have now come to light that provide an explanation of how the accident could have happened. The last radio message that the crew sent from the depths to the mother ship on the surface was also discussed. The captain's last words to the surface: "Two weights dropped. All good here." This could indicate that the submersible was about to ascend again.

OceanGate founder Stockton Rush (left) liked to present himself as the Elon Musk of the deep sea. Quick successes were more important to him than extensive testing.

(Bild: AP)

The hearing aims to "uncover the facts surrounding the incident", according to chairman Jason Neubauer. They are also trying to "identify misconduct or negligence by mariners" in order to "make a recommendation to the Department of Justice if appropriate".

Tony Nissen

(Bild: APA/AP)

Chief engineer felt under pressure
The Titan's chief engineer, who was the first witness to be questioned, apparently knew that the experimental vessel could become a death trap. Tony Nissen reported that he was put under pressure to get the submersible ready for use. Years before the tragedy, he had refused to complete a pilot run due to safety concerns.

A picture of the wrecked submersible was also shown at the hearing:

He had reportedly told Oceangate co-founder Stockton Rush: "I'm not getting on here." He did not trust the employees responsible. In 2019, he thwarted a dive to the Titanic because the vehicle did not work as expected. He then lost his job at the company.

Boat struck by lightning: Technician suspected damage
He described an incident from 2018 when the submersible was struck by lightning. Nissen feared that the Titan's hull had been damaged as a result. Nissen was asked whether there had been any pressure to let the submersible into the water. "100 percent," explained the engineer.