On June 18, 2023, the Titangate Titangate submarine disappeared at the bottom of the North Atlantic in a fatal implosion for the five people on board. But what really happened? Two years later, the United States Coast Guard has just published a 300-page report. And it is particularly overwhelming for Oceangate, as well as for its CEO Stockton Rush, which perished with its four passengers.
The implosion was avoidable. According to the report, it is even amazing that the submarinesubmarine Titan of Oceangate managed to achieve such depth. The porthole was only approved up to 1,300 meters, the Titan having implored 3,346 meters deep. But the most serious was the shell in carbon fibercarbon fiberand materialmaterial unsuitable for pressionpression of a deep dive, because too rigid. Without flexibility, the fibers break, weakening the shell. The report also points to an absence of traceabilitytraceabilitymanufacturing standards and the fact that the submarine has never been inspected or approved.
The report contains a real litany of breaches, in terms of design, material tests, surveillance of the shell, and taking into account acoustic incidents, cracking heard in previous missions, signs of a weakening of the shell.
A toxic working environment
Most of the responsibility would fall to Stockton Rush himself. The report underlines a toxic working environment and a culture of intimidation, with punitive dismissals, and autocratic management where it made decisions without consulting the experts. “” This toxic environment, characterized by derogatory reprisals and remarks against those who expressed concerns in mattermatter safety, combined with a lack of external control, prepared the land for the final disappearance of TitanTitan ». He refused regulatory constraints, as well as the recommendations of engineers. David Lochridge, security manager, was dismissed in 2018 after reporting technical problems. “” Oceangate’s operational decisions, in particular those taken by Mr. Rush, have repeatedly compromised security for the benefit of operational continuity, concept validation and financial considerations ».
The report concludes that the probable breakdown was either the adhesive joint between the front dome and the segment in titaniumtitaniumor the carbon fiber shell at the front of the Titan. In short, the submarine should never have attempted a dive to such a depth and could have been avoided by simply following normal procedures.