Report Reveals Why OceanGate Titan Submersible Exploded in Atlantic Ocean
Key Takeaways
- The NTSB concluded the Titan submersible imploded due to flawed engineering and inadequate testing.
- The vessel's carbon-fiber hull and titanium components failed to meet necessary strength and durability standards for extreme deep-sea pressure.
- All five occupants, including CEO Stockton Rush, were killed when the submersible imploded in June 2023 near the Titanic wreck.
- Former employees indicated that OceanGate routinely ignored safety concerns and attempted to bypass regulations by mislabeling paying passengers.
- The NTSB recommended the U.S. Coast Guard conduct a comprehensive review and update of safety regulations for crewed deep-sea pressure vessels.
An official investigation by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has determined that the implosion of OceanGate’s Titan submersible during its 2023 expedition to the Titanic wreck was caused by flawed engineering and a lack of proper testing. The agency found the vessel’s design and development to be "inadequate," noting that its carbon-fiber hull and titanium components could not withstand the extreme underwater pressure at the depth where the disaster occurred in the North Atlantic. All five people aboard, including OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, were killed in the June 2023 incident. The report follows earlier findings by the U.S. Coast Guard, which deemed the disaster "preventable" due to OceanGate’s "critically flawed" safety procedures. Former employees revealed that safety concerns were ignored, and the company allegedly tried to circumvent regulations by classifying paying passengers as "mission specialists." Consequently, OceanGate permanently ceased operations, and the NTSB recommended that the U.S. Coast Guard comprehensively review and update safety regulations for deep-sea pressure vessels.
