(USNewsMag.com) – According to a travel writer, the Titan submersible’s hull was made from Boeing carbon fiber that was past its shelf life.
The Travel Weekly writer, Arnie Weissmann, was supposed to travel on the submersible to see the Titanic in May, a trip that was cancelled due to weather.
Weissmann has begun writing about his experiences with Oceangate, saying while he was “impressed by what appeared to be a risk-averse operation,” he did have some concerns.
Weissmann stated that according to Stockton Rush, the founder of OceanGate and its CEO, the carbon fiber he had bought from Boeing and then used for the construction of the hull was cheaper because it had passed the shelf life of being used to build airplanes. Weissmann recalled Rush saying the dates “were set far before they had to be” when asked if this was an issue for the submersible.
Weissmann has thought about that conversation since news of the missing submersible broke. Until the implosion, the OceanGate website claimed Boeing was involved in the design and engineering of the submersible. However, Boeing denies being involved in the project.
The carbon fiber hull has been a topic of discussion since the Titan submersible first disappeared on June 18, an hour and a half into its journey to see the wreck of the famous sunken ocean liner Titanic. In a 2021 presentation, Rush discussed the cost-saving benefits the carbon fiber hull offered. In 2021, he also said he had “broken some rules” by using carbon fiber to build the submersible.
Crews searched for the missing sub and its five passengers for days. On June 22, after the oxygen supply was said to have run out, officials stated they found the wreckage and believed the submersible had imploded, killing the five passengers instantly. Each of the passengers paid $250,000 per ticket for the doomed trip.
Rush, as well as British adventurer Hamish Harding, French Titanic expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet, and British Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood, as well as his son, Suleman Dawood, were onboard when the Titan imploded.
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