Additional Coverage:
- Faulty engineering led to implosion of Titan submersible headed to Titanic wreckage, NTSB finds (nbcnews.com)
NTSB Confirms Flawed Engineering Behind Titan Submersible Tragedy
PORTLAND, Maine – The experimental Titan submersible, which imploded in June 2023 during a dive to the Titanic wreck, claiming the lives of five individuals, was the victim of faulty engineering, according to a final report released Wednesday by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
The NTSB’s comprehensive report attributes the catastrophic implosion to a carbon fiber composite pressure vessel that “contained multiple anomalies and failed to meet necessary strength and durability requirements.” The investigation further revealed that OceanGate, the owner and operator of the Titan, neglected to adequately test the submersible, remaining unaware of its true structural limitations.
All five occupants perished instantly in the North Atlantic when the vessel suffered its implosion. The NTSB also noted that adhering to standard emergency response protocols would likely have expedited the discovery of the wreckage, saving “time and resources,” even though a rescue in this specific instance was not feasible.
These findings align with an August report from the Coast Guard, which characterized the Titan implosion as preventable. The Coast Guard’s assessment highlighted “critically flawed” safety procedures at OceanGate, a Washington state-based private company, and identified “glaring disparities” between its stated safety protocols and actual operational practices.
OceanGate suspended its operations in July 2023 and has since wound down. A company spokesperson declined to comment on the NTSB’s latest report. Following the Coast Guard’s August report, a spokesperson for the company offered condolences to the victims’ families.
The implosion tragically killed OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, along with French underwater explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet, renowned as “Mr. Titanic”; British adventurer Hamish Harding; and two members of a prominent Pakistani family, Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman Dawood. The incident has spurred lawsuits and renewed calls for stricter regulation of private deep-sea expeditions.
The NTSB’s report recommends that the Coast Guard establish a panel of experts to study submersibles and other pressure vehicles designed for human occupancy. Furthermore, it advises the Coast Guard to implement new regulations for such vehicles, informed by the findings of this study. The report explicitly states that current regulations for small passenger vessels “enabled OceanGate’s operation of the Titan in an unsafe manner.”
The NTSB also urged the Coast Guard to “disseminate findings of the study to the industry,” an sector that has seen considerable growth in recent years due to increased private financing for exploration.
The company was reportedly aware of potential Coast Guard regulations prior to the implosion. The NTSB report, in describing OceanGate’s corporate culture, cites an operations technician who left the company after raising concerns. According to the technician, the company’s CEO responded that “if the Coast Guard became a problem … he would buy himself a congressman and make it go away.”
The Titan had been conducting voyages to the Titanic site since 2021. Its final dive commenced on the morning of June 18, 2023.
Approximately two hours later, the submersible lost contact with its support vessel and was reported overdue that afternoon. A massive search and rescue operation, involving ships, planes, and equipment, was swiftly launched approximately 435 miles south of St.
John’s, Newfoundland.
The multi-day search for survivors off the coast of Canada garnered international attention. As it became clear there would be no survivors, the Coast Guard and other authorities initiated lengthy investigations into the incident.