Netflix just released a new documentary about OceanGate’s Titan sub. You remember, the one that sadly broke apart in June 2023 while trying to visit the Titanic.
This new film shows exactly how things went so wrong. Spoiler: there were a lot of bad decisions.
First, let’s talk about the sub itself. Most deep-sea subs are made of steel or titanium, strong stuff that can handle the pressure deep under the ocean. But OceanGate wanted to be different. They used carbon fiber instead. Like something you’d see in sports cars, not submarines.
Even after the first carbon-fiber hull cracked, they built… another carbon-fiber hull. No changes. Nothing stronger. Just the same risky material all over again.
It gets worse. Before they built the real sub, they tested small models of the new hull. Three models. All three broke during testing. But OceanGate said, “Eh, let’s build it anyway.”
Employees noticed weird popping sounds on dives. (Which, when you’re miles under the sea, is not what you want to hear.) The company’s boss, Stockton Rush, called the sounds “seasoning.” Like the sub was cooking, not cracking.
Workers spoke up. They said this wasn’t safe. Some were fired for saying so. Others, like engineer Emily Hammermeister, quit. She refused to bolt anyone into the sub after seeing the failed tests. OceanGate gave her two choices: get fired or quit. She quit—during the COVID pandemic, when jobs were hard to find.
The lead safety guy, David Lochridge, also warned them. He got fired too. After that, Rush asked the company’s accountant, Bonnie Carl, if she wanted to be the sub’s pilot. You read that right, the accountant. Bonnie said no. Her reason? “Are you nuts? I’m an accountant.”
Even after cracks were found in the hull, Rush acted surprised. He asked his engineer, Tony Nissen, why he didn’t warn him. Nissen said: “I did warn you. I gave you a report.” Rush’s answer: “Well, one of us has to go.”
Guess who didn’t go?
This documentary quietly shows all these bad choices and ignored warnings without shouting. It lets you watch the slow disaster build, piece by piece. Like watching someone glue wings to a car and call it a plane.
If you want to see a true story full of strange decisions and risky ideas, plus a little dark humor, this Netflix doc is worth a watch. But maybe skip booking a submarine trip after.
