Titan: what could cause the “catastrophic implosion” and other questions about the fatal fate of the submarine

The longing to see the remains of the titanic ended fatally for the submarine crew Titan. This week, the world followed the search for the submersible against the clock since it lost track of it in the Atlantic Ocean on Sunday the 18th. Despite the efforts, the day before yesterday it was confirmed that the five crew members of it had died.

LOOK: Titan submersible is destroyed at the bottom of the sea and there are no survivors: it suffered a “catastrophic implosion”

Although the first days the hopes centered on finding a clue before the 96 hours of available oxygen ran out, the US Coast Guard and OceanGate Expeditions, owner of the ship, announced that the submersible suffered a “catastrophic implosion ” and that his remains were scattered near the Titanic, sunk in 1912.

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—OceanGate Expeditions (@OceanGateExped) June 22, 2023

On board were Stockton Rush, CEO of OceanGate Expeditions; two members of a wealthy Pakistani family, Shahzada Dawood and her son Suleman; British tycoon and adventurer Hamish Harding, and Paul-Henri Nargeolet, a French Titanic expert. Yesterday, tributes in his honor were taking place in various parts of the world.

The tragedy has not only mourned the families of the victims, but also prompted several questions about what happened to the Titan.

1. How does a “catastrophic implosion” happen?

The US Coast Guard detailed that the search robots found a “wreckage field” near the Titanic, almost 4,000 meters deep. Everything indicates that the cause of the implosion was a “catastrophic loss of pressure” in the ship.

At the depth at which the ocean liner is, the water pressure multiplies by 400 the values ​​of the sea surface. When an implosion occurs – which could be caused by any number of reasons, including a hull defect – the ship collapses in on itself within milliseconds, crushed by the immense pressure of the water.

Roger García, director of Operations at the Aquarius underwater base in Florida and diving safety officer at Florida International University, told the Efe news agency that the “catastrophic implosion” suffered by Titan could be the result of the “slow and gradual weakening of the chamber material” by the high external pressure after several deep dives.

The Titan disappeared last Sunday.

2. What is known about what happened to the crew members?

Experts have ensured that the crew did not even have time to think about what was happening when the implosion occurred, which would have killed them instantly.

It is very difficult to know the time and manner of death of the victims. Regarding the possible date, the “Wall Street Journal” revealed that the US Navy had detected on Sunday the 18th a signal indicating the probable implosion of the ship.

If the death of the five crew members had not been caused by the implosion, specialists point out that possible carbon dioxide poisoning was a greater threat than the depletion of available oxygen.

Authorities have stated that they do not know if it will be possible to recover the remains of the victims, given the nature of the accident and the extreme conditions at those depths.

(Trade)

3. Why is the safety of the submarine criticized?

The biggest discussion about what happened with the Titan focuses on whether all measures were taken to guarantee the safety of the tourist excursion.

Questions about the submersible’s safety were raised in 2018, during a symposium of industry experts and in a lawsuit by OceanGate’s former head of Marine Operations David Lochridge that was settled later that year. Lochridge was fired after expressing his doubts about the Titan’s safety.

According to “The New York Times”, court documents prove that Lochridge noted that the ship needed more tests and highlighted “the potential dangers to Titan’s passengers as the submersible reached extreme depths.”

The Titan was not registered with the international bodies that regulate safety. She, too, was not rated by a maritime industry group that sets standards on issues like hull construction.

James Cameron, the director of the movie “Titanic” who has made numerous submersible descents, including some 30 to the wreck of the Titanic, accused OceanGate Expeditions two days ago of “ignoring” safety warnings.

James Cameron has explored the area of ​​the Titanic tragedy. (Photo: AFP) (VALERIE MACON/)

However, Guillermo Söhnlein, co-founder of the company along with Stockton Rush, who died in the accident, said that the latter “was extremely committed to safety.”

Anyone who works in the ocean “knows the risk of operating under such pressure and knows that at a certain moment they are at risk of suffering an implosion of this type,” Söhnlein, who left the company in 2013 and retained his position, told Reuters. a minority stake.

4. Will it be the end of underwater tourism?

Since they were discovered in 1985, the remains of the Titanic have become an attractive place for adventurers and billionaire tourists.

After this tragedy, the organization Titanic International, which preserves the history of the famous ocean liner, stated that “it is time to seriously consider whether human voyages to the Titanic wreck should end in the name of safety.”

But the petition is not a guarantee that those journeys will come to an end. Söhnlein, for example, has stated that continuing deep-sea exploration is vital for humanity, and that it is the best way to honor those who died on Titan.

Hamish Harding, Stockton Rush, Paul-Henri Nargeolet, Suleman Dawood and his father Shahzada Dawood, the crew members of the Titan submersible. (AFP).

5. What is known about the ongoing investigations?

The authorities have stated that what happened with the Titan has now become an investigation and rescue mission that will last indefinitely.

For now, Canada’s Transportation Safety Board announced yesterday the opening of a “security investigation into the circumstances of this operation,” since the Titan’s support ship, the Polar Prince, had a Canadian flag.

Another important detail is that passengers sign a document stating that they are aware of the risks. Mike Reiss, who traveled on the Titan last year, told the BBC: “You sign a pledge before you go on board that mentions death up to three different times.”

Source: Elcomercio