Titan Sub Disaster | Full Speed Ahead | 3

0:00American scandal uses dramatizations that are based on true events. Some elements, including dialogue, might be invented, but everything is based on historical research.

0:20It's March 2018 in Claremont, a small city just outside Los Angeles, California. Late morning sunlight slants through the blinds of the office of William Conan. Narrow bars of shadow stretch across his desk, and a cup of coffee goes cold in his hands as Conan sits lost in thought. Conan is a CEO of Hydrospace, a subsea and aerospace engineering company. Last year, they were contracted by the entrepreneur Stockton Rush to design an experimental porthole for his new Titan submersible. Conan only supplied it on the understanding that Rush and his company OceanGate would get the new window thoroughly tested, but what he's heard about Titan's development in the months since has him worried.

1:02Conan is also a senior figure in the Marine Technology Society, a professional organization of engineers and inventors, and several other members have been reaching out to him to share their concerns about the Titan. Conan feels pressure to step in, but he knows Stockton Rush won't appreciate the interference, so he needs some advice. He reaches for his phone and calls someone he thinks can help.

1:28Yeah, Rob McCallum speaking. Engineer Rob McCallum is also a member of the Marine Technology Society. Hey Rob, it's Will Conan. Will, how are you? Well, to be honest, I'm worried, and I think you know why. Oh, Stockton Rush? McCallum has a history with Rush as well. He was invited to join Ocean Gate as a consultant, but he turned down the offer after reviewing Titan's design. Conan leans back in his chair and sighs. Yeah, I keep hearing more and more worrying things about the Titan. Poor design choices, testing shortcuts, Stockton shutting people out. You're one of the few people who've seen the full plan, so tell me if I'm overreacting.

2:09Well, I wish I could. Titan is ambitious, let's call it that. And, you know, ambition's fine, don't get me wrong, but ambition without oversight, that's just dangerous. Well, I've been discussing it with the society, and some people have suggested that we should issue a statement. something formal, you know, like a caution. But I don't know if we can even do that. Well, Stockton's going to say you're just scared of the competition, of course. But I understand the impulse. You know, after I looked over the plans, I sent him an email detailing all my concerns. I was very calm, professional. I suggested a third-party review, offered resources that could help.

2:45I just wanted to make it clear that I was on his side but still had concerns. What'd he say? Well, he fired back a pretty nasty reply. Oh, yeah? Yeah, yeah. Here, let me find it. Some nonsense about industry gatekeepers. Here we go. I'm tired of industry players who try to use a safety argument to stop innovation. We've heard the baseless cries of you are going to kill someone way too often. I take this as a serious personal insult. A personal insult, huh? Yeah, and he ended with a legal threat. He said if I keep interfering, he'd call in the lawyers. Oh, God, he thinks we're the enemy. Conan's fingers drum anxiously on his desk.

3:25Well, we could try appealing to the investors, I guess, but they're probably hearing the same pitch he gives everyone else. Yeah, I think we can do what we can. We can warn him, we can advise him, but no one's going to force him to listen, and we can't intervene. God, I just wish he'd let us help. Yeah, so do I, because you know, if Titan fails, it won't just be Ocean Gate's problem. God forbid, if anything really happens, it'll damage the entire industry. William Conan and Rob McAllen spend the next few minutes bemoaning the position they're in. Titan's design is unlike anything they've seen before.

4:00If it works, it could herald the beginning of an exciting new age in deep-sea exploration. But Ocean Gate is avoiding all scrutiny, hiding its revolutionary submersible in the shadows. And it seems that there's nothing Conan and McAllen can do to bring it into the light.

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5:08From Audible Originals, I'm Lindsey Graham, and this is American Scandal.

5:32By 2018, OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush had a grand vision of what his company could be. His dreams for the future included a fleet of self-driving autonomous submersibles that could dive up to 20 ,000 feet. He even imagined a futuristic world in which OceanGate operated underwater bases, like space stations on the ocean floor. And Rush was always eager to share his big ideas. But when it came to the technological details of the Titan submersible, he was less open. Investors, colleagues, and potential customers could hear the pitch, but they couldn't see the specifications. Because as far as Rush was concerned, the less people knew, the fewer questions they could ask.

6:14And he had no interest in oversight or regulations. Rush believed he was racing toward the future, and he wasn't going to let anyone slow him down. This is Episode 3, Full Speed Ahead.

6:29It's early April 2018 in Claremont, California. William Conan taps the steering wheel in time with the music on the radio as he drives to work, the morning breeze rushing through the open window. Conan is a busy man, and his daily commute is one of the few moments when his mind isn't swarming with designs, deadlines, or the politics of the small but fiercely opinionated submersible industry. But today, that calm doesn't last. His cell phone rings, and glancing at the display, he sees Stockton Rush's name. A wry smile crosses Conan's face because he's been expecting this call. He presses a button and greets Rush, but Rush skips the pleasantries.

7:09His voice crackles with anger as he accuses Conan of trying to undermine Ocean Gate. Conan knows exactly what Rush is talking about. A few days earlier, he drafted a letter to Rush on behalf of the Marine Technology Society. It didn't pull any punches. The one-page document expressed deep concern about Titan and warned that OceanGate's experimental approach could result in a catastrophe that would undermine the entire submersible industry. But Conan never mailed the letter. The Marine Technology Society is just a professional body, with no formal role in regulating the activities of OceanGate or any other organization.

7:45Intervening in OceanGate business could drag the society into legal difficulty. It could even run afoul of federal antitrust lawsuits for overstepping its powers. Still, Conan wanted the concerns heard, so he devised a way to deliver the message unofficially. Instead of sending the letter, he circulated it privately within the society, asking for others' input. But in a small industry where news travels fast, he suspected the letter would quickly leak and reach Rush. This early morning phone call proves that Conan was right. So for several minutes, Rush defends Ocean Gate's development of Titan.

8:21His argument is a familiar one. Titan is pushing the envelope and breaking new ground. It's too innovative to be judged by conventional standards. Only those on the inside at Ocean Gate can truly understand what they're doing. But Conan tells Rush that there's a simple solution to that. He can let people in. He can allow an outside agency to inspect Titan. Nearly every vessel on the seas is examined by an independent regulator and certified as safe, a process known as classing. And without being classed, ships cannot be insured or carry paying passengers. Ocean Gate's first submersible, Antipodes, was bought secondhand, and it had been independently examined and approved by the American Bureau of Shipping.

9:03It had all the insurance and approvals it needed. But for submersibles built from scratch by Ocean Gate, Rush has shunned external review. Even though his company's marketing boasts that Titan meets or exceeds standards set by the classification agencies, he's never allowed them to inspect the vessel. And during this conversation with William Conan, Rush repeats his argument that these agencies won't understand the cutting-edge design and that their oversight will only slow him down. Conan pushes back. In his mind, opening Titan to independent scrutiny wouldn't stifle innovation. It would strengthen it.

9:37A fresh set of eyes could catch problems OceanGate might have missed. But Rush still refuses to let in any outsiders. By the end of the phone call with Conan, he's agreed to drop references to Titan meeting safety standards from OceanGate's ads, and he's said that he'll emphasize that the submersible is experimental and uncertified in their waivers in the future. But aside from these concessions, nothing else is going to change. Conan suspected this would be the case. Still, now at least he can tell himself that he's voiced his worries. And if Rush chooses to ignore them, there's little else he can do.

10:11So despite the warnings of Conan and the Marine Technology Society, Stockton Rush pushes ahead. Titan is soon complete, and Rush is ready to take the new submersible into the deep for the first time. In April 2018, Ocean Gate engineers pack up Titan and fly it to Marsh Harbor in the Bahamas. There, Rush climbs inside and pilots it down to 1 ,600 feet. When Titan surfaces, hours later, the afternoon sun hangs low over the Atlantic. Oceangate intern Emily Hammermeister watches from the support vessel as Rush emerges from the sub. Hammermeister is new to Oceangate, recruited straight out of the University of Washington following graduation.

10:52This is her first real dive outside the classroom.

10:59The wind whips her blonde hair across her cheeks, and she tucks them behind her ear as Rush climbs a ladder. Oceangate staffers applaud as he reaches the deck. He pauses, turns toward the horizon, and sweeps an arm proudly across the sea. Well, now that was a hell of a dive. He picks up a bottle of champagne resting in a nice bucket. Tight and handle like a dream. Smooth, responsive, practically humming. But Hammermeister swallows. She has a tablet tucked under her arm with data that tells a different story. Rush still pops a cork with a casual twist, and it arcs overboard and splashes into the turquoise water.

11:36He raises the bottle and a toast to the crew. Here's to history in the making. A few of the techs cheer, but Hammermeister stays quiet. And after exchanging a few handshakes with some of the crew, Rush catches her hesitation. Hey, Emily, not in the mood to celebrate? No, it's really exciting. All of it. I'm just... I'm still going over some of the acoustic readings. All right. Walk me through it. Sure, sure. Hammermeister taps the screen awake. Okay, so during your descent, we recorded several sharp sounds associated with stress events, anomalous spikes. Rush nods and takes a swig of champagne.

12:14Yeah, I heard those. You heard them? Inside the sub? Yeah, big pops. They sure got my attention. And that didn't worry you? Not really. Don't look so surprised. Carbon fiber behaves differently than steel. It needs to settle. Adjust to the pressures we're putting it under. Season it, if you will. Season it? Like a cast iron skillet? Yeah, a little more sophisticated than that, obviously, but same basic idea. As the material is cycled under pressure, micro adjustments will occur. It's all part of the process. Hammermeister tries to keep her expression neutral. Well, I just never heard of seasoning in any of my classes.

12:51Well, that's because academia rarely tests carbon fiber at these depths. We're exploring new territory here, Emily. We're innovators, and we have to name things as we go along. She looks at the tablet again. Right. It's just the spikes were strong enough that the monitoring system flagged them, and I just wanted to make sure someone more senior will review them. Oh, they will, of course. That's why we collect the data. But I was inside Titan today, and she felt solid. The bumps we experienced were just the hull getting acquainted with its new environment. Look, Emily, we're building something the world has never seen before.

13:24There's no manual, no precedent. If we treat every twitch of a sensor like some red alarm, we're never going to get anywhere. Progress requires a little more tolerance. Rush claps a hand lightly on her shoulder. But you did good work today. You'll go far here. Well, thank you. I appreciate that. Titan's going far too, and next time, we'll push even deeper. Interns like Emily Hammermeister make up about a third of OceanGate's engineering team and earn as little as$13 an hour. As they're young and inexperienced, they rarely push back against the company's unconventional approach. But while Rush downplays the cracking noises during his first deep-sea dive, one more experienced colleague does not.

14:09Oceangate Director of Engineering Tony Nissen examines the data from the acoustic monitoring system in detail, and he does not like what he sees. Sharp peeks on the readout suggest to him that the carbon fiber hull isn't seasoning, it's breaking. He asks that Rush slow down the testing process to give his engineers time to examine the hull in detail, but Rush is a man in a hurry. After allowing only a brief pause to check for any obvious cracks and defects, Rush presses ahead. Titan is towed farther out into the ocean to the edge of the continental shelf, where the seafloor rapidly drops away.

14:45There, the sub is lowered to 13 ,000 feet without anyone inside. When it's brought back to the surface, Ocean Gate engineers pore over the readouts, searching for any evidence that the carbon fiber strands inside the hull have snapped under pressure. But when he gets the results, Rush is satisfied with the tests and eager to take the sub back to the bottom of the ocean, this time with a pilot on board. but a string of setbacks delays its return to the deep. First, the submersible is hit by lightning, damaging its electronics. Then, on a shallow dive with Rush inside, it abruptly loses power and communications.

15:21Rush spends nine uncomfortable hours sealed inside as the sub rolls helplessly in choppy seas. Even so, Rush is not deterred, and he still believes Titan is ready to return to the depth of the ocean with a pilot inside. He also has no intention of letting anyone else take the glory, so on December 10, 2018, he offers a cheery wave as Ocean Gate engineers close the titanium end cap and secure it with bolts. Moments later, the sub is lowered into the waters off the Bahamas and begins his descent to the bottom. Soon, Rush is alone with only the soft hum of Titan's systems for company. The light through the porthole fades from rich turquoise dark ink.

16:04Sitting cross-legged in the cramped space, Rush scans the controls and readouts. Everything looks normal. He taps out a short message on the small keyboard mounted beside him, and the support crew on the surface responds immediately. Everything looks good. At 8 ,000 feet down, the pressure outside is enough to crush steel. So Rush checks the hull stress indicators, and they all remain in the green. Titan continues to descend, and its thrusters occasionally fire as Rush fine-tunes the vessel's bearing. But when the depth gauge clicks just past 10 ,000 feet, the sub suddenly shudders. Titan lurches upward as if it's been yanked by an invisible line.

16:44Rush frowns and reaches for the modified PlayStation controller. He presses a button, firing the Titan's thrusters, trying to force the vessel back down. For a moment, the sub responds. The unplanned ascent slows, but then Titan seems to hesitate before drifting slowly upward again. Rush types a quick message to the surface to let them know what's happened. He waits for the familiar blink of a reply, but there's nothing. He tries again, tapping the keys more quickly, but still no word comes back. Rush glances at the communications panel. There are no incoming messages and no acknowledgement that his has been received either.

17:22Rush tries a third time, and then a fourth, but he doesn't get an answer. Rush realizes that he's now sealed inside a vessel no one can reach. There's nothing he can do but hope that with a systems reboot, communications with the support ship can be restored. Until then, he's alone in the darkness, two miles beneath the surface, with just a few inches of carbon fiber between him and the crushing pressure of the ocean.

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20:01When the Titan Submersible suffers a system failure on its first crew dive to 10 ,000 feet, it remains out of communication for more than an hour. But its pilot, Stockton Rush, doesn't halt the mission. Instead, while the crew of the support ship anxiously tries to reestablish contact, he pushes on. And by the time communications are restored, Rush has already taken Titan even deeper, to 13 ,000 feet, almost two and a half miles beneath the surface. For the first time, Titan has reached the depth of the Titanic shipwreck with a person aboard. It's also the deepest that anyone in the world has been in the past six years.

20:39So for Rush, this dive is a complete vindication, proof that his unconventional, widely questioned submersible actually works. And Rush's solo dive isn't his only cause for celebration at the end of 2018. Nearly a year ago, OceanGate's Director of Maritime Operations, David Lockridge, was fired after raising concerns about Titan's design. Lockridge then filed a whistleblower complaint with OSHA, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. And when Stockton Rush heard about that, he sued Lockridge for defamation and breaching confidentiality clauses in his contract. Lockridge countersued, claiming wrongful termination.

21:18But the legal cases were stuck in limbo pending OSHA's final judgment. And with OSHA prioritizing older complaints first, its investigation never really got going before Lockridge's legal bills began to climb unsustainably. Now Lockridge has decided to abandon the fight. He and Ocean Gate settle out of court, with both parties agreeing to drop their cases. The terms of the settlement bind Lockridge to silence, but that means the OSHA investigation loses its primary witness. And the federal case soon stalls completely, with OSHA eventually having no choice but to close its file on Ocean Gate. So with that legal cloud lifted, Stockton Rush and Ocean Gate head into the next series of tests with newfound confidence.

22:02In April 2019, Titan returns to the depth of the Titanic, and this time Rush has company. Joining him on the submersible are three passengers, among them the fellow submersible entrepreneur Carl Stanley. But while Rush seems completely satisfied with Titan's performance, Stanley isn't so sure. Partway through the dive, he hears a loud crack that makes everyone on board fall silent. Rush dismisses it, explaining that he's heard noises like that every time he's been in Titan. He says although the cracks sound startling, it's just a few weak carbon fibers breaking, glue joints flexing, or pockets of air popping under pressure.

22:41The acoustic monitoring system will alert them if anything's really wrong. But that explanation doesn't convince Stanley. The next day, when he safely returned to the surface, he emails Rush and outlines his concerns. In Stanley's opinion, the cracking noises cannot be dismissed as a few stray fibers snapping. He suspects that part of the hull is breaking down, but Rush just waves him off. So Stanley follows up with a second, more blunt assessment. He writes, I think that hull has a defect that will only get worse. The only question in my mind is will it fail catastrophically or not? Rush manages to placate Stanley with the promise of more tests, but privately, he's confident that there's nothing wrong.