- Concerns Raised Over Lack of Impartial Evaluation of Titan Submersible
- Safety Certification and Industry Standards Questioned
- Communication Lost with Titan Submersible During Voyage to Titanic Shipwreck
William Kohnen states, “When we say we have rules and regulations, it’s because of our mistakes and what we’ve learned, which is embodied in the certification process.”
A specialist who voiced concerns about the Titan submersible five years ago has reported that his warnings were disregarded.
In 2018, William Kohnen voiced worry that an unbiased third party was not evaluating the vessel’s design and construction.
In a letter to OceanGate, the company that owns the vanished submarine. He warned that a “single negative event” could jeopardize a 40-year “enviable” safety record.
Mr. Kohnen had written on behalf of industry experts: “Our apprehension is that the current experimental approach adopted by OceanGate could result in negative outcomes (ranging from minor to catastrophic) that would have severe repercussions for all industry members.”
Mr Kohnen told, following the discovery of a “debris field” at the Titan search site, that “Father Neptune has no patience for humanity; if we err, we err, and we pay the price.”
If we participate in this competition, we must be completely confident in ourselves.
“We say we have rules and regulations, but they are the result of our mistakes and lessons learned, which we embody through a certification process.”
The letter was addressed to OceanGate’s CEO Stockton Rush, who is one of the five personnel aboard the missing submersible.
In addition to lacking international safety certification, an outdated PlayStation controller is used to navigate Titan, which Mr. Rush defends as being “extremely durable.”
According to OceanGate’s website, off-the-shelf components make building simpler and field operation and replacement easier.
Mr. Kohnen argued that it was essential for the company to invest additional time and money in adhering to industry standards. Whereas Mr. Rush argued that regulators were holding OceanGate back and impeding innovation.
Mr. Kohnen stated that OceanGate’s strategy was “well, we intentionally break the rules because we can do it better and faster.”
He explained, “No one has created a five-person submersible capable of diving 4,000 meters. There are ten submarines in the world that can travel to depths of 4,000 meters or deeper. The majority of these submarines are certified and typically consist of one pilot and two research occupants.
To accommodate five passengers, it is necessary to calculate the numbers carefully.
Mr. Kohnen stated that certified vessels may carry passengers to depths of 6,000 and 7,000 m.
“By submitting a new design for third-party review, we are doing ourselves a favor and following the industry standard,” he said.
In 2021, Titan passenger Arthur Loibl said the ship was “not safe” and “everyone was anxious” throughout the voyage.
Titan lost contact Sunday while sailing to the Titanic shipwreck in the North Atlantic off Canada.
