Court documents filed in 2018 allege OceanGate allowed the Titan to perform dives without “nondestructive testing to prove its integrity.”

The filing further described that the Titan’s hull is made of carbon fiber, not metal, and was built to withstand certified pressure of 1,300 meters, but OceanGate planned to take passengers to 4,000 meters.

"The paying passengers would not be aware, and would not be informed, of this experimental design, the lack of non-destructive testing of the hull, or that hazardous flammable materials were being used within the submersible," the legal filing stated.

The filing further stated, "Non-destructive testing was critical to detect such potentially existing flaws in order to ensure a solid and safe product for the safety of the passengers and crew."

The complaint was filed by David Lochridge, a submarine pilot and underwater inspector, who worked for OceanGate and says he was fired by the company after he expressed concern about the safety of the submersible vehicle. OceanGate sued him for having breached his employment contract by disclosing confidential information with the OSHA when he filed a whistleblower complaint with the agency. The court filing described above was a response to OceanGate’s suit and alleges Lochridge’s wrongful termination for raising these safety concerns.