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New photos show the Titan sub after a 2021 dive where part of the dome fell off as it returned to the surface.
In that dive, everybody survived, but just two years later, five people lost their lives on the OceanGate vessel as it dove to the Titanic wreckage. That disaster is now the focus of a US Coast Guard inquiry, which is stretching into its second week and is slated to resume on Thursday.
Wednesday’s testimony included a long-time sub-expert who testified that OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush was not open to criticism or hearing the word “no” leading up to his death.
“I don’t think many people ever told Stockton, ‘no.’ Don’t think he understood that concept very much,” William Kohnen, CEO of Hydrospace Group Inc. and chairman of the Manned Underwater Vehicles Committee, testified on Wednesday.
Tuesday’s hearing featured Karl Stanley, the owner of a diving expedition company in Honduras and a close friend of Stockton Rush. He went on the doomed submersible with his friend in April 2019.
Stanley testified hearing cracking noises on the submersible and that he could pinpoint where they were coming from. He told the board that Rush was “scared” during the 2019 dive.
Testimony to resume on Thursday
Testimony in the OceanGate Titan sub hearings before the US Coast Guard are set to resume today.
Expected to testify are experts from the Coast Guard, NASA and Boeing. They are expected to talk more about the disaster that claimed the lives of five people.
It’s part of 10 days worth of testimony as investigators try to determine what went wrong before the implosion and if there were warning signs that were missed by OceanGate officials.
Alex Lang26 September 2024 13:18
Blog coverage to resume Thursday morning
Wednesday’s testimony before the Coast Guard Marine Board of Investigation has ended.
Blog coverage will resume when the next hearing begins on Thursday morning.
Katie Hawkinson26 September 2024 02:00
ICYMI: Watch as long-time friend of OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush testifies that Titan sub explosion was ‘expected’
Katie Hawkinson26 September 2024 01:00
ICYMI: New photos of Titan wreckage revealed
Katie Hawkinson26 September 2024 00:00
Recap: OceanGate specialist sobs as she remembers last time seeing Titan submersible crew
Katie Hawkinson25 September 2024 23:00
‘Root cause’ of Titan sub implosion unknown, engineer says
The root cause of the implosion on the Titan sub is still unknown, according to Bart Kemper, principal engineer of Kemper Engineering.
”The root cause for the implosion is indeterminate,” Kemper testified on Wednesday. “At this time, there are multiple unmitigated single-point failures…which means that all it takes is that one thing for the whole thing to go.”
Katie Hawkinson25 September 2024 22:21
Thursday testimony schedule
Testimony will resume on Thursday as the Coast Guard Marine Board of Investigation continues its inquiry into the 2023 Titan sub implosion that killed all five people on board.
Thursday’s hearing will kick off with testimony from Justin Jackson, a materials engineer at NASA. Afterward, Mark Negley of Boeing will testify. Negley once sent Rush his safety analysis of Titan’s hull, WIRED reports.
Afterward, John Winters with the Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound will give his testimony. The day will end with Lieutenant Commander Jonathan Duffett of the Coast Guard Office of Commercial Vessel Compliance.
Katie Hawkinson25 September 2024 22:00
An engineer testified the Titan sub’s hull showed signs of ‘delamination.’ What does that mean?
Much of the Titan sub’s hull showed signs of “delamination,” Dr. Don Kramer, an engineer with the National Transportation Safety Board, testified on Wednesday, citing wreckage from the 2023 implosion.
Delamination occurs when the layers of the hull begin to separate. Layers of carbon fiber were laminated, or bonded together, to create the sub’s hull.
Kramer’s testimony was accompnaied by haunting new photos of the Titan sub wreckage.
Katie Hawkinson25 September 2024 21:20
OceanGate CEO didn’t understand the word ‘no,’ engineer testified
William Kohnen, CEO of Hydrospace Group Inc. and chairman of the Manned Underwater Vehicles Committee said OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush was not open to criticism when he testified on Wednesday.
“I don’t think many people ever told Stockton, ‘no.’ Don’t think he understood that concept very much,” Kohnen said.
Rush’s long-time friend, Karl Stanley, also testified on Tuesday that the former OceanGate CEO seemed “scared” while on board his Titan sub in 2019.
Katie Hawkinson25 September 2024 20:56
Final witness of the day to testify
William Kohnen with Hydrospace Group Inc. has ended his testimony.
The final witness today is Bart Kemper, principal engineer of Kemper Engineering. His testimony is set to begin any moment.
Katie Hawkinson25 September 2024 19:55
