Faulty engineering caused an explosion aboard a private submarine during a 2023 expedition to the wreck of the Titanic, the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said on Wednesday.
The NTSB report follows a US Coast Guard investigation in August that outlined multiple issues with operator Oceangate’s conduct, as well as design flaws in its Titan submersibles, which led to a “preventable tragedy” that killed all five passengers.
What was said in the report?
The report concluded that faulty engineering of the Titan submarine resulted in the construction of a “carbon fiber composite pressure vessel that had numerous inconsistencies and failed to meet required strength and durability requirements.”
“Because Oceangate did not adequately test the Titan, the company was unaware of the actual strength and durability of the pressure vessel, which was likely far below their target.
“Additionally, OceanGate’s analysis of real-time monitoring data of the Titan pressure vessel was flawed, so the company was unaware that Titan was damaged and required immediate removal from service after the previous dive”, it added.
The report also said that if Oceangate had followed standard guidance for emergency response, the wreckage of the Titan would have been found sooner, and this “would have saved time and resources, even though rescue was not possible in this case.”
What happened to the Titan submersible?
In 2023, the Titan submersible, operated by Oceangate, sets out on an expedition to the wreck of the Titanic. Seats on the submersible cost $250,000 (€215,000) per person.
About an hour and 45 minutes after the submarine left, communication with the ship was lost, beginning an interesting hunt that kept the world captivated for some time.
The submersible exploded, killing all five people on board, including Oceangate chief executive Stockton Rush.
The wreckage of the Titan was found a few days later and when the sub was brought to the surface, the remains of its occupants were also recovered.
Oceangate halted all operations after the incident and was sued by the family of one of the passengers who died in the explosion last year.
Edited by: Zack Crellin