NTSB Reveals Damage to Titan Submersible During Previous Dives Led to Fatal Implosion

The catastrophic implosion of the Titan submersible, which claimed the lives of all five individuals aboard, has been attributed to damage that occurred during earlier dives, according to findings released by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

An NTSB report on the failure of the submersible's hull, published in June 2023, confirmed that the incident was instantaneous during Titan's descent to the Titanic wreckage site in the North Atlantic.

Additional deterioration caused by delaminations and damages between dive 82 and the fateful dive 88 was identified in the report as the primary reason for the pressure vessel's structural failure.

The NTSB critique highlighted engineering inadequacies, revealing that the Titan's carbon fiber composite pressure vessel exhibited numerous flaws and did not meet essential durability and strength standards. OceanGate, responsible for the Titan, reportedly did not conduct thorough testing to evaluate these issues.

The report suggests that adherence to standard emergency protocols might have expedited the location of the Titan's wreckage, potentially conserving resources, although rescue efforts were never feasible.

Insights from the Coast Guard

In a parallel report issued in August, the Coast Guard described the tragic implosion as avoidable, citing fundamental issues in OceanGate's safety processes. It pinpointed striking differences between proclaimed safety measures and actual practices, suggesting attempts by OceanGate to bypass regulatory surveillance.

OceanGate halted operations in July 2023, subsequently closing down. Following the Coast Guard's insights, OceanGate's representative extended condolences to victims' families but refrained from commenting further.

Among those lost were Stockton Rush, OceanGate's co-founder; seasoned Titanic enthusiast Paul-Henri Nargeolet; Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son Suleman Dawood of Pakistani descent; alongside British adventurer Hamish Harding.

Prevailing evidence pointed to Rush's negligence, as he reportedly ignored signs of damage identified in a prior 2022 exploration.

Regulatory and Safety Recommendations

The NTSB recommends forming an advisory board to scrutinize submersibles and human-occupied pressure vessels, to inform new safety regulations. These findings should be circulated within the expanding submersible industry.

Prior awareness of possible regulations prompted internal discussions at OceanGate, as detailed in the report. Concerns were raised over using terms like 'mission specialists' for passengers. It was noted that Rush allegedly remarked about leveraging political influence to sidestep regulatory challenges.

The vessel, active in Titanic site expeditions since 2021, made its last dive on June 18, 2023. It failed to reestablish contact with its support vessel shortly afterward, leading to an extensive search operation off the coast of Newfoundland.

Despite the international focus during the multi-day search, it became apparent that no one survived, prompting comprehensive investigative efforts by the Coast Guard and associated authorities into the incident's causes.