David Lochridge, a former operations director at OceanGate, testified that the company’s primary focus was profit rather than scientific advancement. He described the ethos of the firm behind the ill-fated Titan submersible as being driven by financial gain, with minimal emphasis on scientific exploration.
The Titan tragically imploded in June last year while en route to the Titanic wreck, resulting in the deaths of all five individuals aboard. Lochridge, who worked with OceanGate for two years before his dismissal in January 2018, told the commission investigating the disaster that the company’s core mission was to generate income.
Lochridge echoed concerns previously raised by other former employees about Stockton Rush, the company’s founder and one of those who perished in the incident. He characterized Rush as volatile and challenging to work with.
In his report following an inspection of the Titan’s initial hull, Lochridge expressed his dismay at the poor quality of the O-ring seals and the hull’s condition, describing it as akin to “porous paper.” He noted that the second hull, used in the fatal voyage, was similarly substandard, with many components being recycled to cut costs.
Lochridge criticized the Titan as an “abomination of a submersible,” citing a lack of confidence in its construction in 2017 due to “cost-cutting,” “poor engineering decisions,” and an urgent push to reach the Titanic to start earning profits. He alleged that the company’s legal team sent a “threatening” letter after he filed a complaint with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
He also noted that Stockton Rush lacked experience in building submersibles, while former engineering director Tony Nissen was hiring inexperienced staff, some of whom had just graduated or were yet to attend university.
