In response to a letter from fellow deep-sea explorer Rob McCallum warning Rush that he was exhibiting the same hubris of those who said of the Titanic: “she is unsinkable”, he responded by claiming that regulation would stifle innovation.
He said OceanGate’s “engineering focused, innovative approach… flies in the face of the submersible orthodoxy, but that is the nature of innovation”
Mr Lochridge told the inquiry Rush was “very impatient” and decided to carry out all engineering of the Titan in-house, despite having “no experience building submersibles”, and refused to work with experts at the University of Washington.
He added that there was a high turnover of staff and said that the company’s engineering team was made up of “children that were coming in straight out of university. Some hadn’t even been to university yet”.
“They think they could do this on their own without proper engineering support,” he said.
Multiple former associates of Rush accused him of having a volatile temperament, with Mr Lochridge claiming he would “fly off the handle”.
Mr Nissen said Rush could be difficult to work for and was often very concerned with costs and project schedules, among other issues.
He added that he tried to keep his clashes with Rush, including about its carbon-fibre hull, “behind closed doors”, but said that “most people would eventually just back down to Stockton”.
Mr Lochridge said his relationship with Rush broke down in the summer of 2016 after he “embarrassed” his former boss following a heated confrontation during an exploration mission aboard a Titan predecessor to the wreck of a different vessel – the Andrea Doria.
Rush ‘assaulted’ colleague with PlayStation controller
During the expedition to the ocean liner, which sank off the coast of Massachusetts in 1956, Mr Lochridge claimed he was assaulted by Rush after the CEO rammed the submersible into the side of the wreck at full speed, temporarily trapping the vessel underneath.
Mr Lochridge claimed that Rush initially refused to hand over the PlayStation controller, used to steer the vessel, to him before throwing it at the side of his head. The operations director said he then picked up the controller and steered the submersible to safety.
Despite the alleged challenges of the mission, Rush did an interview afterwards in which he claimed the submersible’s technology “worked beautifully” and said the voyage heralded a new age of deep-sea exploration.
“We’re going to take mankind to the bottom of the ocean,” Rush said, “and discover things that no one can even imagine”.
OceanGate, based in Washington state, suspended its operations after Titan’s implosion. However, the disaster has raised questions about the role of regulation in deep-sea exploration.
Asked why the company did not make any effort to comply with certification or regulatory standards for the vessel, Mr Nissen said the company’s founder did not show any interest.
“I wouldn’t say there was no effort,” he said. “There was no desire by Stockton to go do it.”
The family of French diver Nargeolet, who died in the fatal Titan disaster, is suing OceanGate in a wrongful death lawsuit worth more than $50,000,000.
Accusing the submarine operator of gross negligence, the lawsuit claimed the waiver and release “failed to disclose many key, relevant risk factors, […] regarding the design and operation of Titan or the materials used in its construction.” In particular, it mentioned the submarine’s carbon fibre hull, which was reportedly “not properly tested for integrity”.
Addressing the inherent risks involved in taking part in the voyage, OceanGate’s former mission specialist Fred Hagen told the inquiry on Friday that getting into the Titan submersible and going to see the Titanic wreckage “wasn’t supposed to be safe.”
“It was supposed to be a thrilling adventure,” he said. “Anyone that wanted to go was either delusional if they didn’t think that it was dangerous, or they were embracing the risk.”
Mr Lochridge told the hearing he felt the tragedy could have been prevented if a federal safety agency of the United States had investigated his complaint.
“I believe that if OSHA [Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s] had attempted to investigate the seriousness of the concerns I raised on multiple occasions, this tragedy may have been prevented,” he said.
“As a seafarer, I feel deeply disappointed by the system that is meant to protect not only seafarers but the general public as well.”
The inquiry continues.