Fired OceanGate worker claims Titan submarine was unsafe, says co wanted to 'qualify a pilot in a day and make money'

An ex-employee of OceanGate, David Lochridge, has disclosed alarming details about the Titan submersible, which imploded in June 2023, killing all five individuals on board. At a US Coast Guard hearing, Lochridge, who was OceanGate's former director of marine operations, provided significant insights into the vessel's operations.

Lochridge reported that OceanGate aimed to "qualify a pilot in a day," highlighting the lack of structured training for the pilots. He stated, "OceanGate wanted to be able to qualify a pilot in a day, somebody that had never sat in a submersible," calling it a "huge red flag." He further revealed that no one was properly qualified to conduct dives with this submersible.

Additionally, Lochridge noted that the Titan was the "only submersible that wasn't fully classed" by safety authorities. He disclosed that the sub was operated using a PlayStation controller and criticized OceanGate's late CEO, Stockton Rush, for his unprofessionalism.

Lochridge alleged that the Titan was uninspected and had no certificate of inspection from the US Coast Guard. He claimed the company's main motive was "to make money" rather than focusing on science. He also mentioned that the engineering was done in-house due to the "arrogance" of Rush and engineering director Tony Nissen, who believed they could manage without proper engineering support.

Lochridge stated his relationship with OceanGate deteriorated in 2016 as he constantly raised safety concerns, which he shared with every director in the organization. Despite the breakdown in relations, he emphasized, "safety comes first."

The submersible's implosion resulted in the deaths of Rush, British billionaire Hamish Harding, French diver Paul Henry Nargeolet, and Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his son, Suleman.