NTSB: Faulty Engineering Caused Titan Submersible Implosion
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has determined that faulty engineering was responsible for the tragic implosion of the Titan submersible, which resulted in the deaths of five individuals. This conclusion comes from the NTSB’s final report on the incident that occurred in June 2023 while the Titan was en route to the Titanic wreck site.
NTSB Report on Titan Submersible Implosion
The Titan experienced a catastrophic implosion in the North Atlantic as it descended toward the Titanic’s resting place. According to the NTSB, the engineering flaws stemmed from the construction of a carbon fiber composite pressure vessel that did not meet the necessary durability and strength standards.
The investigation revealed that OceanGate, the owner of the Titan, failed to perform adequate testing of the submersible. As a result, the company was not fully aware of the vessel’s limitations in terms of durability. Additionally, the report indicated that had OceanGate followed standard emergency response protocols, the wreckage could have been located sooner, potentially saving critical time and resources, despite a rescue being impossible.
Safety Procedures and Regulations
The findings align with an August report from the Coast Guard, which deemed the Titan’s implosion preventable. The Coast Guard identified significant discrepancies between safety protocols and their actual implementation by OceanGate, labeling their safety procedures as “critically flawed.” Following these revelations, OceanGate suspended its operations in July 2023.
The tragic incident claimed the lives of notable figures, including Stockton Rush, CEO of OceanGate; French explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet; British adventurer Hamish Harding; and Pakistani nationals Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman Dawood.
Recommendations from the NTSB
The NTSB report made several recommendations to enhance safety for future deep-sea expeditions. Key suggestions include:
- Formation of a panel of experts by the Coast Guard to examine design and operational guidelines for submersibles.
- Implementation of new regulations informed by the study of submersibles and other pressure vessels used for human occupancy.
- Dissemination of findings to the industry to improve safety standards.
The report highlighted that existing regulations for small passenger vessels allowed OceanGate to operate in an extremely unsafe manner. The corporate culture at OceanGate fostered an environment where safety concerns were allegedly downplayed, leading to grave consequences.
Incident Timeline and Response
The Titan had been conducting trips to the Titanic site since 2021. Its final dive took place on June 18, 2023, at which point it lost contact with its support vessel approximately two hours later. The Titan was reported overdue later that day, prompting a large-scale search operation approximately 435 miles (700 kilometers) south of St. John’s, Newfoundland.
Despite extensive search efforts involving ships and planes, it became evident that there were no survivors. The Coast Guard and other regulatory bodies immediately launched investigations to uncover the details surrounding the incident.
