The lead engineer of the Titan submarine has stated that he felt significant pressure to prepare the vessel for its dive before it imploded on its way to the Titanic. He also recalled that the submersible was struck by lightning during a test mission.
Tony Nissen, the former engineering director of OceanGate and lead engineer of the Titan submersible, testified at a hearing in South Carolina about the tragic implosion of the vessel on its way to the Titanic wreck. Nissen revealed that he felt “100 per cent” pressured to prepare the submarine for its dive. He also disclosed that the submersible was struck by lightning during a test mission.
Additionally, Nissen stated that he had previously refused to pilot the Titan due to a lack of trust in the operations staff and that he had prevented the submersible from making a trip to the Titanic in 2019.
“I’m not getting in it,” Tony Nissen recounted telling Stockton Rush, co-founder of OceanGate, regarding the Titan submersible. Nissen expressed concerns that the Titan was “not working like we thought it would.” Despite these concerns, he noted that the submersible underwent additional testing before subsequent dives to the Titanic.
Tony Nissen was the first witness to testify at the U.S. Coast Guard hearing in North Charleston, South Carolina, which is anticipated to last two weeks. He revealed that he was terminated from OceanGate five years ago after refusing to approve a damaged hull for the 2019 Titanic expedition.
The Titan submersible, which imploded on June 18 of the previous year, resulted in the deaths of all five people onboard, including Stockton Rush, and clients Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son Suleman. The incident sparked global debate about the safety and future of private undersea exploration.
During the hearing, Nissen described Stockton Rush as a challenging figure to work with, noting that Rush was often preoccupied with costs and project schedules. He mentioned that Rush’s demands frequently changed and that he would fight for what he wanted, leading many to eventually concede to him. Nissen made an effort to keep their disagreements private to avoid company-wide awareness.
Nissen also reported that the Titan was struck by lightning during a test mission in 2018, which might have compromised its hull. When questioned about the pressure to launch the Titan, Nissen affirmed, “100%.”
When questioned about whether pressure from Stockton Rush compromised safety decisions and testing, Tony Nissen hesitated before responding, “No.” He elaborated that with unlimited time and budget, infinite testing could be conducted, making the question complex.
The Coast Guard representatives noted that the Titan was exposed to the elements during seven months of storage in 2022 and 2023, and the hull was not reviewed by third parties, which is a standard practice.
One of the Titan’s last messages to the support ship Polar Prince was “all good here,” according to a visual re-creation presented by the Coast Guard. The crew lost contact after exchanging texts about the submersible’s depth and weight during its descent. The Polar Prince then sent repeated inquiries about whether the Titan could still see the ship on its onboard display.
Following the implosion, OceanGate, based in Washington state, suspended its operations. Bonnie Carl, the company’s former finance and human resources director, testified on Monday about being aware of safety concerns, including remarks from the company’s operations director, David Lochridge, who had labeled the Titan as “unsafe.” Lochridge is scheduled to testify at the hearing today.
On Monday, Tym Catterson, a contractor who worked with OceanGate, testified that “training and operations at sea could have been better.”
Wendy Rush, Stockton Rush’s widow and the company’s communications director, is not on the witness list. Coast Guard spokesperson Melissa Leake indicated that the Coast Guard does not comment on the reasons for excluding specific individuals from hearings during ongoing investigations. She noted that it’s common for a Marine Board of Investigation to hold multiple sessions or conduct additional witness depositions for complex cases.
Later in the hearing, OceanGate co-founder Guillermo Sohnlein and former scientific director Steven Ross are scheduled to testify, according to the Coast Guard’s list. The hearing will also include testimonies from various guard officials, scientists, and government and industry representatives.
Currently, OceanGate has no full-time employees but will be represented by an attorney during the hearing. The company stated that it has been fully cooperating with the Coast Guard and NTSB investigations since they began.
The Titan had been conducting dives to the Titanic wreck site since 2021. Last year, the submersible lost contact with its support vessel approximately two hours after its final dive.
When the Titan was reported overdue, rescuers swiftly deployed ships, planes, and other equipment to an area approximately 435 miles south of St. John’s, Newfoundland. The search garnered global attention as the likelihood of survival following the implosion diminished.
The wreckage of the Titan was later discovered on the ocean floor, about 330 yards from the Titanic’s bow, according to Coast Guard officials.
Initially, the investigation was projected to last a year, but it has extended beyond that timeframe. The Marine Board of Investigation, the highest level of marine casualty investigation conducted by the Coast Guard, is currently ongoing. Upon conclusion, recommendations will be submitted to the Coast Guard’s commandant. The National Transportation Safety Board is also conducting a parallel investigation.
Jason Neubauer from the Coast Guard Office of Investigations, who is leading the hearing, stated, “There are no words to ease the loss endured by the families impacted by this tragic incident. But we hope that this hearing will help shed light on the cause of the tragedy and prevent anything like this from happening again.”
