(Daily360.com) – The passenger who listened to his gut and backed out of the trip aboard the doomed Titan submersible has explained why. Millionaire Brit Chris Brown was enthusiastic when he heard there was a submersible which was going to take people down to see the remains of the Titanic. He says he was “one of the first” people to claim a spot aboard the small craft. He was enthusiastic about what he’d heard about the OceanGate Expeditions package. Things changed for Brown when he saw the reality of what he would be embarking on and more importantly embarking in. He was not impressed with the technology or materials OceanGate was using. He specifically cites the game controller to pilot the sub and the constructing of the subs ballast from “old scaffolding poles.” Upon some reflection Brown contacted OceanGate via email informing them he’d no longer be making the trip and requesting his deposit back. Brown was a longtime friend of billionaire Brit Hamish Harding who along with four others perished when Titan imploded less than two hours into their journey.
Chris Brown let OceanGate know he was not convinced they’d fabricated the craft well enough. Oscar winning director James Cameron who has been an avid diver and submersible craft designer shared a similar opinion last week. Cameron said he did not believe the craft should be used for underwater tasks due to its composite shell. The OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush who perished in the implosion had highlighted his company’s use of aerospace technology in their concepts, design and materials. Cameron points to this as an issue he had, as he said composites can work for space travel but not for the pressure of the sea. Cameron says a composite submersible hull will by the nature of its fabrication at some point develop a structural fault. The Titanic director says he regrets not being more vocal with his thoughts at the time but did consistently state that the craft needed to be certified for its purpose, which it was not.
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