Title: NTSB Report Attributes Titan Submersible Implosion to Engineering Flaws

Faulty engineering was the primary cause of the Titan submersible's implosion, which resulted in the deaths of five individuals during a dive to the Titanic wreck site, according to a report released by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) on Wednesday. The incident occurred in June 2023, when the Titan suffered a catastrophic failure while descending into the North Atlantic Ocean.

The NTSB's final report indicated that the design flaws in the Titan's carbon fiber composite pressure vessel included multiple anomalies that compromised its strength and durability. The report stated, "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."

Additionally, the report criticized OceanGate, the company that owned the Titan, for not conducting adequate testing and for being unaware of the submersible's actual durability. It noted that had OceanGate adhered to standard emergency response protocols, the wreckage could have been located sooner, potentially saving time and resources, even though a rescue was deemed impossible.

This NTSB report aligns with findings from a Coast Guard report released in August, which labeled the Titan's implosion as preventable. The Coast Guard identified significant flaws in OceanGate's safety procedures and highlighted discrepancies between established safety protocols and the company's actual practices. Following the incident, OceanGate suspended its operations in July 2023.

The Titan's implosion claimed the lives of several notable individuals, including OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, French underwater explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet, British adventurer Hamish Harding, and two members of a prominent Pakistani family, Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman Dawood. In the wake of the tragedy, there have been calls for stricter regulations governing private deep-sea expeditions.

The NTSB report recommended that the Coast Guard establish a panel of experts to evaluate submersibles and other pressure vessels designed for human occupancy. It also urged the Coast Guard to implement regulations based on the findings of this study and to share these findings with the industry, which has seen significant growth in recent years due to increased private exploration efforts.

The Titan had been conducting dives to the Titanic site since 2021. Its final dive took place on June 18, 2023, after which it lost contact with its support vessel approximately two hours later. A search operation was launched about 435 miles (700 kilometers) south of St. John's, Newfoundland, but it soon became evident that there were no survivors. The Coast Guard and other authorities initiated extensive investigations to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident.