American Scandal: Titan Sub Disaster | Ep. 3 – Full Speed Ahead
Date: April 7, 2026
Host: Lindsey Graham
Podcast: American Scandal

Episode Overview

This episode, "Full Speed Ahead," explores the relentless ambition, grave warnings, and hubris behind OceanGate’s development of the Titan submersible. The story delves into internal industry concerns, ignored red flags, rushed engineering decisions, and the mounting risks taken by OceanGate's CEO Stockton Rush. Ultimately, it details how repeated warnings were dismissed and how the project pressed forward, setting the stage for disaster.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Internal Warnings and the Struggle for Oversight

[00:00-07:30]

• William Conan (CEO of Hydrospace) and Rob McCallum, both involved in the Marine Technology Society (MTS), discuss growing unease about Titan's design and OceanGate’s secrecy.
• McCallum had previously sent Rush a detailed email outlining his concerns and suggesting third-party review.
  • Notable Quote:

    "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." – Stockton Rush, recounted by Rob McCallum (04:44)

• Rush's response was defensive and dismissive, characterizing safety critiques as industry protectionism and even issuing legal threats.
• Both Conan and McCallum express frustration at their powerlessness:
  • Quote:

    "If Titan fails, it won’t just be OceanGate’s problem. God forbid, if anything really happens, it'll damage the entire industry." – Rob McCallum (06:07)

2. Stockton Rush’s Vision vs. Reality

[07:31-11:50]

• Stockton Rush envisioned a future with fleets of submersibles and underwater bases, but kept technical specifics secret—even from potential investors. The less outsiders knew, the fewer questions.
• Rush refused independent scrutiny ("classing"), a standard process for sea vessels, arguing it would stifle innovation.
  • Notable Insight:
    Conan urges Rush to allow inspections, but Rush only agrees to minor changes: removing misleading ads and clarifying the vessel’s experimental nature in waivers.

3. Early Testing, Setbacks, and Downplaying Risks

[11:51-19:30]

• April 2018: Titan’s first test dives in the Bahamas. Loud "pops" and "sharp acoustic events" are noted—suggesting structural strain or fault.

• Intern Emily Hammermeister raises concerns about anomalous readings:

  • Quote:

    "During your descent, we recorded several sharp sounds… Anomalous spikes." – Emily Hammermeister (18:19)

  • Rush dismisses the concern:

    "Carbon fiber behaves differently than steel… We’re putting it under… Season it, if you will." – Stockton Rush (18:35) "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." – Stockton Rush (19:23)

• Veteran engineer Tony Nissen disagrees, believing the hull is breaking, not “seasoning.” He pleads for slower, more careful testing—but Rush is impatient.

4. Escalating Risks and Ignored Failures

[19:31-28:40]

• Subsequent test dives include unmanned descents to 13,000 ft, after minimal inspection pauses.
• Setbacks: Lightning hits Titan, electronics damaged; another dive results in power and communication loss with Rush stuck inside for nine hours.
• In December 2018, despite a critical system failure at 10,000 ft and a loss of communication, Rush continues the dive to 13,000 ft—matching Titanic's depth.
  • Key Moment:
    Rush considers it vindication, not a warning sign.

5. Whistleblower Silenced and Legal Dead Ends

[28:41-31:57]

• David Lochridge, Director of Maritime Operations, is fired and sues for wrongful termination after raising safety concerns.
• Lochridge’s settlement with OceanGate binds him to silence, causing the OSHA investigation into Titan’s safety to collapse due to lack of a witness.

6. Cracks, Layoffs, and Re-design

[31:58-37:25]

• In April 2019, a passenger, Carl Stanley, hears a loud crack during a test dive. Subsequent inspections reveal an actual hull crack, forcing Titan’s return to Seattle and a complete hull rebuild.
• Rush blames Nissen for not detecting defects and fires him, along with other engineers. Less experienced staff, including former interns, are promoted instead.

7. Rushed Re-Engineering and Failed Tests

[37:26-42:15]

• Scale models of the new hull consistently fail pressure tests—reaching catastrophic failure below target depths.
  • Notable Exchange:

    "That's it. Full structural failure. Equivalent depth was less than 10,000 ft." – Lab technician (41:00)
    "I've never been much one for limits." – Stockton Rush (41:24)

• Rush skips further scale testing, convinced refining carbon fiber cures will solve the problem. He pushes straight into full-size manufacturing.

8. Reuse of Components and New Risks

[42:16-44:52]

• New hulls are paired with reused titanium end caps and interface rings—an operation that risks introducing undetectable flaws.
• Rush ignores engineers’ warnings and installs lifting rings (for easier handling), potentially introducing unpredictable strains.

9. Marketing Over Safety: The Josh Gates Incident

[44:53-52:29]

• 2021: Shallow dives with media and potential customers are used for marketing.
• Discovery Channel’s Josh Gates joins a dive:
  • Gates is alarmed by electrical issues, repeated system failures, and loss of communication.
  • The “bathroom” is a box by the porthole; the interior is cramped—played for awkward laughs, but underscoring safety shortcuts.
  • Memorable Exchange:

    "Quarter million dollars doesn’t buy you a seat in this thing." – Josh Gates (47:24)
    "Seats just take up space... It’s democratic." – Stockton Rush (47:28)
    "Democracy isn’t all that comfortable, I’d say." – Josh Gates (47:35)

• Afterwards, Gates reviews footage and is unsettled by Rush’s evasive answers. He cancels participation and advises Discovery to withdraw.

10. Regulatory Circumvention & The Waivers

[52:30-54:38]

• Because Titan isn’t certified, OceanGate legally can’t carry passengers or get insurance. Rush re-classifies customers as “mission specialists” performing nominal tasks, not "passengers," sidestepping the law.
• Waivers are draconian—death is mentioned four times on the first page.

11. Final Ignored Warnings and the First Commercial Expeditions

[54:39-End]

• In summer 2021, the first commercial dives to Titanic are announced.

• Pre-dive briefings are frank about risk, but with no mention of failed tests or known cracks.

• Passengers remain unaware of the true extent of the vessel’s flaws.

  • Closing Warning:

    "...despite all Stockton Rush’s confidence, the question is not whether Titan’s carbon fiber hull will fail, but when." – Narrator/Lindsey Graham (57:45)

Memorable Moments & Quotes (with Timestamps)

• Industry pushback on safety concerns:

  "Ambition without oversight, that—that's just dangerous." – Rob McCallum (03:42)

• Rush on oversight:

  "I'm tired of industry players who try to use a safety argument to stop innovation." – Stockton Rush, via Rob McCallum (04:44)

• Downplaying risk:

  "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." – Stockton Rush (19:23)

• Critical hull crack discovered:

  "There's a visible crack in the carbon fiber hull… this will certainly delay the next set of tests and might even be enough to shut down the entire project." – Tony Nissen (36:40)

• Rush dismisses pressure test failure:

  "That's it. Full structural failure. Equivalent depth was less than 10,000 ft." "Scale models always underperform… It's not representative of reality." "I've never been much one for limits." – Stockton Rush (41:00–41:25)

• Gallows humor and discomfort inside Titan:

  "Quarter million dollars doesn’t buy you a seat in this thing." – Josh Gates (47:24)
  "Seating on the floor gives everyone an equal view. It's democratic." – Stockton Rush (47:28)

Timestamps for Major Segments

• 00:00–07:30 — MTS internal warnings; Rush's combative reaction.
• 08:00–11:50 — Rush’s ambitions and avoidance of oversight.
• 11:51–19:30 — Test dives, early data ignored, “seasoning” rationalization.
• 19:31–28:40 — System failures, communication breakdowns, solo record dive.
• 28:41–31:57 — Legal battle and silencing of whistleblower Lochridge.
• 31:58–37:25 — Hull crack discovery, engineer firings and design crisis.
• 37:26–42:15 — Pressure test failures and Rush's risky leap to full-scale build.
• 42:16–44:52 — Reuse of parts, new lifting rings, and overlooked risks.
• 44:53–52:29 — Josh Gates’ dive, technical failures, and Gates’ exit.
• 52:30–54:38 — Legal “workarounds,” passenger waivers, early expeditions.
• 54:39–End — The first mission briefings, hidden flaws, and final warning.

Conclusion

"Full Speed Ahead" exposes the Titan submersible's rushed, high-risk development—and the many alarms sounded by industry experts, engineers, and even passengers. The episode paints a gripping picture of unchecked ambition, an organizational culture allergic to criticism, and the cascade of ignored warnings that make tragedy feel inevitable. The narrative sets up the subsequent disaster, showing clearly how, beneath confidence and innovation, a string of missed opportunities for intervention led inexorably toward catastrophe.

Next Episode Preview:
Titan’s commercial expeditions begin, but willful ignorance leads to tragedy.