Human error, not an iceberg, was to blame for the sinking of The RMS TITANIC, new book charges.
The granddaughter of the ocean liner’s second officer, Charles Lightoller, makes the surprising claim in a new book Good as Gold.
"It just makes it seem all the more tragic," Louise Patten revealed
"They could easily have avoided the iceberg if it wasn’t for the blunder."
The "blunder" which led to the sinking of the unsinkable Titanic in 1912 killing 1,517 passengers and crew , according to Patten, occurred when a steersman "panicked" when sighting the great ice floe.
"The real reason why Titanic hit the iceberg, which has never come to light before, is because he turned the wheel the wrong way," Patten said.
Her grandfather, Patten said, who was the highest ranking officer to survive the ocean disaster covered- up the human error for fear such a revelation would destroy the White Star Line, the company that built and owned The Titanic and her sister ships.
She also charged that the Titanic sank much faster than if it had come to a full stop but J. Bruce Ismay, Chairman of the White Star Line, pressured the captain to keep sailing.
"If Titanic had stood still, she would have survived at least until the rescue ship came and no one need have died."
