Concerns over missing Titanic sub piloted by video game controller, ‘improvised’ parts

submersible that went missing during a mission to view the Titanic shipwreck, but many have become concerned with the seemingly improvised construction of the vessel.The expedition off the coast of Newfoundland, hosted by U.S.

company OceanGate Expeditions, was reported overdue shortly after 9 p.m. local time Sunday evening and above-water crews have not been able to contact the vessel.The carbon-fiber and titanium vessel called the Titan has diving capabilities of more than 13,000 feet and can carry five people to the Titanic wreck in the Atlantic Ocean.

It had run successful trips to the site in 2021 and 2022, according to the company’s website.However, video shared to social media Monday by a CBS reporter has raised concerns about how sound the Titan’s construction really is.In 2022, David Pogue took a closer look at the Titan, and said he “couldn’t help noticing how many pieces of this sub seemed improvised, with off-the-shelf components.”You may remember that the @OceanGateExped sub to the #Titanic got lost for a few hours LAST summer, too, when I was aboard…Here’s the relevant part of that story.

https://t.co/7FhcMs0oeH pic.twitter.com/ClaNg5nzj8— David Pogue (@Pogue) June 19, 2023A news report from that time shows Pogue signing a waiver that says the submersible is “experimental” and “had not been approved by any regulatory body.”The segment, which aired on CBS Sunday Morning, shows Pogue climbing into the Titan, which he described as being “about the size of a minivan.” Inside was a single green button that OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush told Pogue “should be like an elevator.