An analysis of the wreckage of OceanGate’s Titan submersible has revealed how its hull came apart.
Images of the craft’s pieces scattered across the sea floor show the carbon fibre hull had separated into multiple layers – a known problem with the material.
The evidence was presented on Wednesday to the US Coast Guard at a public hearing into the catastrophic failure of the sub in June 2023, which killed all five people on board.
It was not confirmed that the hull was the first part of the sub to fail, but the details suggest it is a key focus of the investigation.
Investigators are seeking to uncover the details of what led to the tragedy and find recommendations that could prevent future deadly voyages.
Titan, operated by OceanGate, imploded less than two hours into its descent during a dive to the wreckage of the Titanic.
Titan’s hull was made from numerous layers of carbon fibre mixed with resin.
It’s a highly unusual material for a deep sea sub because it is unreliable under pressure – most crafts are made from metals like titanium.
Don Kramer, an engineer at the National Transportation Safety Board, showed the US Coast Guard a series of images of sections of the hull on the sea floor.
He described how in some fragments, the carbon fibre layers had come apart – a known process called delamination.
In other places, the material was cracked.
It was not confirmed whether the damage to the hull had caused the implosion.
“I’m not offering any analysis at this point as to whether [the damage] occurred before or after the implosion,” he said.
Mr Kramer also described how his team had analysed samples of Titan’s hull left over from its construction. They looked at
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