In a comprehensive final report exceeding 300 pages, the US Coast Guard has provided an in-depth examination of the 2023 sub implosion of OceanGate’s Titan. The findings paint a troubling picture of CEO Stockton Rush, characterizing him as a dangerous leader who fostered an unpleasant work environment.
The investigation highlights the use of “intimidation tactics” by Rush and his company to navigate regulatory oversight, describing the workplace atmosphere as “toxic” and revealing a “critically flawed” safety culture. The Titan was described as “undocumented, unregistered, non-certificated, [and] unclassed,” and Rush reportedly neglected essential inspections, data analyses, and preventative maintenance procedures. These oversights culminated in a “catastrophic event,” resulting in the deaths of five occupants when a crushing 4,930 pounds per square inch of water pressure compromised the sub during its dive to the Titanic wreck site.
Should Rush have survived the incident, the report indicates he would have faced prosecution.
OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush demonstrates the game controller used to operate the Titan sub during an appearance on CBS Sunday Morning in November 2022.
Credit:
CBS Sunday Morning
The Controller Incident
A notable anecdote that encapsulates Stockton Rush’s management style involves a video game controller. During a widely-discussed CBS Sunday Morning segment in 2022, Rush showcased to journalist David Pogue a Logitech F710 controller used to operate the Titan. This revelation prompted Pogue to express disbelief, covering his face with his hand.
This controller had been employed in OceanGate’s submersibles for several years, with a 2014 video showing it in action aboard the earlier sub, Cyclops I. In 2016, the Cyclops I was used for a dive to the wreck of the Andrea Doria off Nantucket. For fans of “Seinfeld,” this wreck figures prominently in an episode where a character seeks to acquire an apartment once occupied by an Andrea Doria survivor.
During that expedition, the OceanGate crew spent two days capturing scans of the sunken ship. Trouble arose when Rush became unable to extricate the Cyclops I from being wedged under the bow of the wreck. The report details how Rush erupted in frustration, rejecting assistance from an assistant pilot when attempts were made to resolve the issue. It was noted that when a suggestion was made for Rush to pass the controller over, he allegedly threw it at the assistant pilot. Upon taking control, the assistant was able to successfully free the sub from its predicament.
