According to a previous pilot, the problems with the Titanic sub started long before the ill-fated voyage in June.
A BBC documentary released in 2022 features footage of the vessel spinning in circles, reported The Mirror. Then-Titan pilot Scott Griffith sounded the alarm with a phrase nobody wants to hear when they’re deep underwater: “We have a problem.”
“There’s something wrong with my thrusters. I’m thrusting and nothing is happening,” he explained. Those on board were forced to wait with bated breath as OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush addressed the issue from the mothership.
“You know what I was thinking, we’re not going to make it,” fretted passenger Reneta Rojas to the BBC crew. “We’re literally 300m (600 feet) from the Titanic, and although we are already in the debris field, we can’t go anywhere but go in circles.”
The malfunction was reportedly caused by an improperly mounted thruster where one side attempted to propel the vessel in one direction, while the other pushed in the opposite direction. Eventually, the crew was able to re-program the video game controller that was used to maneuver the ship and continue with the rest of their voyage.
“We were just so happy we had figured out how to move forward,” Rojas recalled. “We started clapping inside the submersible and saying ‘Yes we can go.'”
Those onboard the submersible were able to view the Titanic wreckage, but once they were back on land, Rush reportedly dismissed their concerns with the vessel.
“Almost every deep-sea sub makes a noise at some point,” he reportedly said.
Perhaps even more concerning is a later quote from Rush in which he quips about “breaking rules,” which has gained some renewed scrutiny following the tragic end of the latest OceanGate Titanic voyage in June.
“I’d like to be remembered as an innovator,” the CEO said. “I think it was General MacArthur who says you’re remembered by the rules you break.”
The submersible would implode on June 8, killing the 5 crew inside and launching a manhunt-turned-recovery mission that captivated the nation.
The BBC documentary is not available to be viewed in the United States.
Writers and editors can be contacted at [email protected] with feedback, tips, or corrections.
Sierra Marlee is a millennial whose hunger for the truth in a world of fake news has led her to write. Marlee also contributes to BizPac Review.
Comment
We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please click the ∨ icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.