An investigation has unveiled that the Titan sub had a success rate of only 14 percent.
Last month, the US Coast Guard reported the “catastrophic implosion” of the Titan vessel after debris was discovered near the wreck of the Titanic off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada.
The sub lost contact with its mothership on Sunday (June 18) while embarking on an exploration of the Titanic wreck. Unfortunately, the implosion resulted in the tragic loss of all five passengers on board.
The individuals who perished in the incident were Stockton Rush, CEO and co-founder of OceanGate, British billionaire Hamish Harding, French diver and Titanic expert Paul-Henry Nargeolet, and father and son Shahzada and Suleman Dawood.
In the wake of the tragedy, OceanGate has faced widespread criticism, leading to a comprehensive investigation into the incident. Captain Jason Neubauer, chair of the Marine Board of Investigation, stated, “The evidence gathered will provide crucial insights to investigators from various international jurisdictions regarding the cause of this tragedy. There is still much work to be done in order to comprehend the factors that led to the catastrophic loss of the Titan and to prevent a similar tragedy from occurring in the future.”
The sub’s design has raised concerns, with several aspects identified as potential hazards, including the use of carbon fiber in constructing its hull. An internal email leak revealed an OceanGate employee referring to the submersible as an “accident waiting to happen.” Former employee Rob McCallum also criticized the company’s engineering approach, describing it as “ad hoc” and ultimately inappropriate. He even likened the design of the Titan sub to that of a “home-built go-kart.”
According to a passenger waiver obtained by Insider, the Titan sub only managed to reach the depth of the Titanic wreckage site, which lies approximately 13,000 feet below sea level, on approximately 13 out of 90 dives. The waiver, reviewed by Insider and signed by a potential passenger, indicated that the sub completed “as few as 13” dives to a depth of 3,800 meters, the Titanic’s resting place. This implies that OceanGate, which labeled the Titan sub “experimental” multiple times in the four-page liability waiver, accomplished only around 14 percent of dives to the depths of the wreckage site.
Following the tragic incident that claimed five lives, OceanGate has suspended its business and exploration operations. A statement on their website currently reads: “OceanGate has suspended all exploration and commercial operations.”
