PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Faulty engineering led to the implosion of an experimental submersible that killed five people on the way to the wreck of the Titanic, the National Transportation Safety Board concluded in a report Wednesday.
The NTSB made the statement in its final report on the hull failure and implosion of the Titan submersible in June 2023. Everyone on board the submersible died instantly in the North Atlantic when Titan suffered a catastrophic implosion as it descended to the wreck.
The report states that the faulty engineering of the Titan resulted in the construction of a carbon fiber composite pressure vessel that contained multiple anomalies and failed to meet necessary strength and durability requirements. It also noted that OceanGate, the owner of the Titan, failed to adequately test the submersible and was unaware of its true durability.
The Titan likely would have been found sooner had OceanGate followed standard guidance for emergency response, which could have saved time and resources even though a rescue was not possible.
The NTSB report aligns with a previous Coast Guard report that deemed the implosion preventable and highlighted critically flawed safety procedures at OceanGate.
Following the incident, OceanGate suspended its operations and faced lawsuits, prompting calls for stricter regulations in private deep-sea explorations. The Titan's implosion claimed the lives of notable figures including OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, renowned explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet, and adventurers Hamish Harding and the Dawood family from Pakistan.
In response to the findings, the NTSB has recommended that the Coast Guard commission a panel of experts to study submersibles and implement new regulations based on the study's findings.
