Titanic Submarine Disaster: Netflix Documentary Reveals Fatal Flaws
A new Netflix documentary, Titan: The OceanGate Disaster, has shed light on the catastrophic events that led to the implosion of the Titan submarine, killing all five passengers on board. The documentary, which features interviews with industry experts and insiders, reveals a culture of recklessness and hubris within OceanGate, the company behind the ill-fated submersible.
According to the documentary, which was reported by The Independent, the Titan submarine was on a tourist expedition to view the wreck of the Titanic when it went missing off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada. The incident sparked a massive media frenzy, with many outlets speculating about the fate of the vessel and its passengers. However, as The Independent reports, the documentary paints a picture of a company that repeatedly ignored safety protocols and disregarded industry standards.
At the centre of the story is OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, a wealthy and ambitious entrepreneur who wanted to make a name for himself in the deep-sea exploration industry. According to David Lochridge, an ex-Royal Navy diver who was sacked from OceanGate in 2018, Rush was driven by a desire for fame and fortune. "He wanted to be a Jeff Bezos or an Elon Musk," Lochridge says in the documentary, as reported by The Independent.
The documentary reveals that Rush was willing to take enormous risks to achieve his goals, including flouting regulations and ignoring safety warnings. One of the most alarming moments in the film comes when Lochridge describes a chaotic dive to the Andrea Doria shipwreck off the Massachusetts coast, during which Rush ventured too close to the wreck and the craft became surrounded by debris.
The Independent reports that Monroe, the documentary’s director, says that Rush’s actions were motivated by a sense of invincibility. "He was a person of privilege, a person with a long history within his own family of movers and shakers," Monroe says. "When you’re of that upbringing, it feels like you need to do something in life, and then you say you’re going to take an experimental submersible using material never before used to the Titanic."
The documentary also highlights the fatal flaws in the design and construction of the Titan submarine. The vessel was made of carbon fibre, which is lighter and more cost-effective than traditional alloyed steel used for submarines. However, tests showed that the material was dangerously unreliable, and Rush’s decision to ignore industry standards and classification experts ultimately proved catastrophic.
According to The Independent, the documentary features extraordinary footage from inside the vessel, showing Rush growing concerned at the intensifying popping sounds as he reaches 3,939 metres during the submersible’s first deep ocean test. "Close enough," he mutters to himself before abandoning the test and returning to the surface.
The film also reveals that the final nail in the coffin came when a "loud bang" was heard on board the vessel during its 80th dive. Despite concerns about the safety of the submersible, it was kept in sub-zero temperatures in Newfoundland, rather than being sent back to OceanGate headquarters in Washington to check for cracks in the hull.
The consequences of Rush’s actions are devastating. The documentary dedicates just 10 minutes to the final moments of the submersible’s existence, instead focusing on the families who were left behind. British aviation billionaire Hamish Harding, Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son Suleman, and renowned Titanic expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet all lost their lives in the disaster.
Monroe’s film is less about deep-sea exploration and more of a critique of those who believe the rules don’t apply to them. He compares Rush to a tech CEO, invoking Mark Zuckerberg’s Facebook motto, "Move fast and break things." "There is an ambition in our culture led by a lot of Silicon Valley types that you can do things differently," says Monroe, as reported by The Independent. "You can change the way the world works. The rules don’t apply to you. But as I like to say, there are rules of physics, there are rules of engineering, there are rules of nature, and those do apply to us."
Titan: The OceanGate Disaster is a powerful and thought-provoking documentary that serves as a warning about the dangers of hubris and recklessness. As The Independent reports, it is a story that needs to be told, and one that will have far-reaching implications for the deep-sea exploration industry. The documentary is now available to stream on Netflix.
