'Inadequate' device aboard Titan sub 'led to deadly malfunction that killed five'

Dec 27, 2023

A submarine expert believes the Titanic tourist submersible Titan suffered a likely 'catastrophic' implosion that doomed all five people onboard because of an electrical fault

An inadequate device aborad the Titanic tourist submarine led to ithe deadly implosion amid an electrical fault, an expert has said.

Submarine expert José Luis Martín said he believes the crew on Titan, the OceanGate submersible that was destroyed last month, knew they were in danger before the likely "catastrophic implosion" occurred.

Their deaths would likely have been instantaneous, the expert added.

“During the controlled immersion of the Titan, there must have been an electrical fault, which left the craft without thrust,” Mr Martín told the Spanish news outlet NIUS

“Without thrust, the weight of the passengers and the pilot (about 400 kilograms), which was focused on the front end close to the viewport, would have disrupted the Titan’s longitudinal stability,” Mr Martín explained.

He said he believes the deadly malfunction occurred at a depth of about 5,500 feet.

“At this point, the submersible begins to fall headlong towards the seafloor, and with control and safety functions damaged, it can no longer be maneuvered,” Mr Martín theorised in his report.

“The pilot (OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush) couldn’t activate the emergency lever to drop weights (and return to the surface),” the expert said, adding that the lever was an inadequate device for such an emergency.

“At this point, the submersible begins to fall headlong towards the seafloor, and with control and safety functions damaged, it can no longer be manoeuvred,” Mr Martín said.

This, Mr Martín believes, caused the submersible to drop like an "arrow," subjecting it to more severe pressure.

He added: "The Titan changes position and falls like an arrow vertically because the 400 kilos (880 pounds) of passengers that were at the porthole unbalance the submersible.

"Everyone rushes and crowds on top of each other. Imagine the horror, the fear, and the agony. It had to be like a horror movie,” he added.

Horrifyingly, Mr Martín believes the rapid drop of the submersible means the crew would have been aware of the trouble they were in before a "powerful compression" occurred.

He wrote: "In that period of time, they are realising everything. And what’s more, in complete darkness. It’s difficult to get an idea of what they experienced in those moments.

"As it fell to the depths of the ocean, the hull would have been subjected to a sudden increase in underwater pressure... After those 48 seconds, or one minute, the implosion and instantaneous sudden death occurs."

An investigation into the incident is ongoing, but there are repeated questions about OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush's approach to safety.

Whistleblowers have said glue leaked from the seams holding the ballast bags together, while experts questioned the design of the submersible's hull.

In 2021, Rush said in an interview: "I have broken some rules to make this. The carbon fibre and titanium... there is a rule that you don’t do that... Well, I did."

A former passenger claimed Rush ignored a "really loud bang" on a previous mission.

Former consultant for OceanGate Rob McCallum told Rush Titan was a risk until it was certified by an independent body, to which Rush said he took doubts over the vessel's safety as a "serious personal insult."

Virginia Tech ocean engineering professor Stefano Brizzolara told the New York Post that Titan's hull could have had a defect.

“It is difficult to say what caused the structural failure in this case, but any small material and geometric imperfection, misalignment of connection flanges, tightening torque of bolted connection may have started the structural collapse,” Brizzolara said.

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