The carbon fiber hull of the submarine that imploded during a Expedition to the remains of the Titanic had imperfections dating back to the manufacturing process and behaved differently after a loud bang was heard on one of the dives the year before the tragedysaid an engineer with the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
Engineer Don Kramer said there was folds, porosity and voids in carbon fiber used for the pressure hull of the Titan submersible. Two different sensors on the Titan recorded the “loud acoustic event” that witnesses also reported after a dive on July 15, 2022, the expert explained.
The hull pieces recovered after the tragedy showed a substantial delamination of the carbon fiber layerswhich came together to create the hull of the experimental submersible, he said.
OceanGate co-founder, Stockton Rushwas one of five people killed when the submersible imploded in June 2023.
The U.S. Coast Guard began a public hearing earlier this month that is part of a high-level investigation into the cause of the implosion. Some of the testimony has focused on the carbon fiber construction of the submersible, which was unusualOther testimonies focused on the problematic nature of the company.
This is what the remains of the Titan looked like:
Breaking news: US Coast Guard releases NEW video showing Titan submersible on ocean floor.
Still can’t imagine the horror’s of being inside this thing. pic.twitter.com/Ee3YuOf9AC
— HOW THINGS WORK (@HowThingsWork_) September 18, 2024
Coast Guard officials noted at the start of the hearing that the submersible was independently inspected, as is standard practice. That and the unusual design of Titan They subjected it to the scrutiny of the underwater exploration community.
Earlier in the hearing, former OceanGate COO David Lochridge said he frequently clashed with Rush and felt that The company was only looking to make money.
The accident sparked a global debate on the future of private underwater exploration.
???? “EVERYONE KNEW IT WOULD IMPLODE!”: INSIDER BOMBSHELL ON TITAN TRAGEDY
The Titan, a deep-sea submersible designed to explore sites like the Titanic wreck, tragically imploded in June 2023, killing all five aboard.
Submersible designer Karl Stanley revealed the Titan’s fate… pic.twitter.com/5lj3DeVZjz
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) September 25, 2024
The hearing is expected to last until Friday and include several more witnesses, some of whom were closely related to the company.
Guillermo Sohnlein, co-founder of the company with Rush, told the Coast Guard panel on Monday that he hoped one silver lining from the disaster was that inspired a renewed interest in explorationincluding the deepest waters of the world’s oceans. Sohnlein left the company before the disaster.
Washington State-based OceanGate suspended operations after the implosion. The company has no full-time employees currently, but A lawyer represents her at the hearing.
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