Unanswered Queries About the Titan Submarine Tragedy
The submersible that promised an unforgettable experience for its passengers was designed to take them 3,800 meters (12,500 feet) beneath the Atlantic Ocean to explore the wreck of the Titanic. This venture was marketed as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, captivating the imagination of adventurers eager to witness the historic site. However, the excitement surrounding this expedition was overshadowed by a tragic incident that occurred last year.
During a dive conducted by Oceangate’s Titan sub, disaster struck as the vessel approached the ocean floor. A catastrophic failure led to the loss of all five individuals onboard, leaving the world in shock. The incident raised serious questions about the safety protocols and design choices associated with the submersible, prompting a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the tragedy.
In response to the disaster, the US Coast Guard announced a public hearing scheduled for 16 September. This hearing aims to delve into the factors that contributed to the incident, including the sub’s unconventional design, overlooked safety warnings, and the overall lack of regulation in deep-sea exploration. The goal is to ensure that such a tragedy does not happen again in the future.
On the morning of 18 June 2023, the Titan began its descent into the depths of the ocean. Among the five passengers were Oceangate’s CEO Stockton Rush, renowned British explorer Hamish Harding, veteran French diver Paul Henri Nargeolet, and British-Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood, along with his 19-year-old son, Suleman. As the day progressed and the sub failed to resurface, a massive search and rescue operation was initiated, capturing the attention of the global community.
Read Also: Bauchi VC Denies Facebook Account.
After days of uncertainty, on 22 June, wreckage from the Titan was discovered approximately 500 meters (1,600 feet) from the bow of the Titanic. It was revealed that the sub had imploded just one hour and 45 minutes into its dive, marking a tragic end to what was meant to be an extraordinary adventure. The investigation continues as authorities seek to understand the full scope of the incident and prevent future occurrences.
Were the passengers aware that the dive was going poorly?
Those on Titan could stay in contact with the support ship, the Polar Prince, through text messages sent via its onboard communications system. The log of these exchanges could reveal any indications of the sub’s failure.
The vessel also had an acoustic monitoring device – essentially microphones fixed to the sub listening for signs of it buckling or breaking.
Stockton Rush was convinced that if there was an imminent failure of the submersible, they would get an audio warning on that system, but Victor Vescovo, a leading deep sea explorer, was highly skeptical that this would have provided enough time for the sub to return to the surface.
If there were no apparent problems during the descent and alarms failed to sound, those on board could have been unaware of their imminent fate.
The implosion itself was instantaneous, and there would have been no time for the passengers to even register what was happening.
What part of the Titan submarine failed?
Forensic experts are investigating the wreckage of Titan to determine the cause of the failure. The design had several issues. The viewport window was only rated for a depth of 1,300m (4,300ft), but Titan was diving nearly three times deeper. Titan’s hull was also an unusual cylindrical shape, rather than the typical spherical design of most deep-sea submersibles, which distributes the crushing pressure of the deep more evenly.
The sub’s hull was made of carbon fibre, an unconventional material for a deep-sea vessel, as metals like titanium are more commonly used due to their reliability under immense pressures. However, carbon fibre is considered unpredictable in the deep ocean, and the Titan submersible experienced progressive weakening of the carbon fibre due to compression and fibre breakage during its multiple dives to the Titanic wreck. Additionally, the junctions between the carbon fibre and titanium rings created weak points. The CEO of Triton Submarines stated that the commercial sub industry has a longstanding, unblemished safety record, and the Oceangate contraption was an aberration.
Did the ocean sounds interfere with the search?
Ships, aircraft, and remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) were mobilized to the Atlantic Ocean in an attempt to locate Titan. A few days into the search, sonar equipment from a search plane detected underwater noises, raising the possibility that these sounds might be originating from the submersible. ROVs were deployed to pinpoint the source of the noises, but they were unable to find anything. The exact nature of these sounds remains uncertain, as the ocean is inherently noisy, particularly during operations of this kind.
At the same time Titan went missing, a more significant acoustic signal was recorded by the US Navy’s sonar system, which was consistent with an implosion. This crucial information was only disclosed publicly on the day the remains of Titan were ultimately discovered. The timeline regarding when the US Coast Guard became aware of the noise is unclear, as is whether the families and friends waiting on the support vessel were informed about it.
The search efforts continued, but the uncertainty surrounding Titan’s fate added to the tension. Eventually, deep-sea robots returned to the area where Titan had vanished. After extensive searching, the wreckage was located, providing some closure to the ongoing mystery.
Rory Golden, who was part of the OceanGate expedition when contact with Titan was lost, shared his experiences with the BBC. He recounted the intense emotions faced by those on the surface vessel during the ordeal. The team endured four days filled with fear and uncertainty, grappling with the crushing weight of “false hope.”
As the search unfolded, the challenges of underwater exploration became apparent. The ocean’s vastness and complexity posed significant obstacles, complicating the efforts to locate the missing submersible. Each passing day heightened the anxiety for those involved in the search and the families waiting for news.
Ultimately, the discovery of Titan’s wreckage marked a somber conclusion to the search. The emotional toll on the families and the expedition team was profound, as they faced the reality of the situation. The incident served as a stark reminder of the risks associated with deep-sea exploration and the unpredictable nature of the ocean.
What led Oceangate to disregard safety considerations?
Many were concerned about Oceangate’s sub. Victor Vescovo says he urged several passengers, including his friend Hamish Harding, against diving on Titan, as he was so worried. Fears about safety were also brought directly to Oceangate, including by the company’s former director of marine operations, David Lochridge, who assessed the sub while it was being developed. US court documents from 2018 show that Lochridge had identified numerous “serious safety concerns” and the lack of testing could “subject passengers to potential extreme danger in an experimental submersible”. Engineers from the Marine Technology Society also said that Oceangate’s experimental approach could result in “negative outcomes (from minor to catastrophic)”. In an email exchange, deep-sea specialist Rob McCallum told Rush that the sub should not be used for commercial deep dive operations and was placing passengers in a “dangerous dynamic”. In response, Rush dismissed warnings that he would kill someone as “baseless”.
Why were the authorities permitting Titan to submerge?
Deep-sea submersibles undergo extensive safety assessments by independent marine organizations, but Oceangate chose not to certify their Titan vessel. Most operators opt for certification, though it is not mandatory.
The Titan was described as “experimental” by its operator, who argued that certification “slowed down innovation.” Passengers paid up to $250,000 and signed liability waivers to dive in the uncertified Titan. The public hearings aim to prevent a disaster like the Titan’s fatal incident from happening again.
