Last week, the remains of the imploded Titanic-bound submersible were seen for the first time since the horrible tragedy that killed all the five men on board.
The missing Titan submersible suffered a catastrophic implosion killing all five men on board; US Coast Guard confirmed last week on Thursday, June 22.
It was reported that the Titanic-bound submersible that went missing on Sunday with a crew of five men on board suffered a ‘catastrophic implosion,’ shattering pieces of the unfortunate vessel and killing everyone on board.
The US Coast Guard confirmed that a debris field on the ocean floor had been discovered in the search operation for the missing Titan submersible.
Now, the wreckage of the doomed vessel has been found by a US Coast Guard ship Sycamore and Horizon Arctic from the depths of the Atlantic Ocean and has been unloaded at the Canadian Coast Guard pier in St John’s, Newfoundland.
On Wednesday, following the previous week’s confirmation of the implosion of the Titan submersible, the US Coast Guard issued a statement indicating that human remains were likely present within the wreckage of the Titan.
The wreckage discovery has surprised experts who believed the sub was ‘crushed into pieces’ after suffering a ‘catastrophic implosion’ killing all five people on board.
It was believed to have been caused by a sudden change in pressure. The submersible was designed to withstand pressures up to 1,000psi, but experts suspected that the pressure inside the submersible exceeded this limit, causing it to implode.
After recovering the debris and evidence from the seafloor, the US Coast Guard received it at a Canadian pier.
The photos of the wreckage were analyzed by an associate professor of mechanical and marine engineering at Plymouth University, Jasper Graham-Jones, who said the implosion was definitely caused by the weak carbon fiber hull of the vessel.
“Though it is impossible to reach a definitive conclusion from these pictures alone, he said the most likely scenario was that the carbon-fiber hull gave way under the enormous pressure of the ocean depths,” per Insider.
According to Professor Graham-Jones, another theory is that the Titan’s small front viewport gave way first.
“The Titan’s design featured two titanium rings bound to the carbon-fiber hull. The rings seem to have held firm,” he said.
“It shows that titanium was the right material to use, and linking with the composite was possibly the wrong material to use.”
Speaking about the front viewport of the vessel, the Professor said it was possible that the salvage operation removed the acrylic viewport to make room for the red cable.
“They could have lifted it in a bag, without tampering with it,” he said. “It looks to me like it’s failed, the window’s gone.”
The analysis and testing of this evidence form a crucial part of the ongoing investigation. The Marine Board of Investigation (MBI) is investigating the cause of the submersible’s implosion and will also interview witnesses.
The statement highlighted that “the evidence will provide investigators from several international jurisdictions with critical insights into the cause of this tragedy. There is still a substantial amount of work to be done to understand the factors that led to the catastrophic loss of the TITAN and help ensure a similar tragedy does not occur again,” as MBI Chair Captain Jason Neubauer expressed.
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Source: Insider
