As many of you will recall, back on June 2023 the submersible Titan imploded as it was near the Titanic wreck. The implosion killed five people. The NTSB issued its report on October 2. Here are the key findings.

1. Titan likely sustained damage in earlier dives that weakened the vessel leading to the implosion.

2.  The engineering process to construct the submersible was inadequate allowing anomalies into the carbon fiber composite that failed to meet proper strength and durability requirements. OceanGate failed to properly test Titan and was unaware of its actual strength and durability not realizing how the vessel was stored and towed could be affected by these operations. Further its real time monitoring of the vessel was flawed not informing it was damaged after an earlier dive.

3. Emergency assets would have been available quicker if OceanGate had followed certain protocols. They did not implement guidance from a circular issued by the Coast Guard that would have had emergency response nearby resulting in the Titan being found sooner.

4. NTSB found criticism of the U.S.  Coast Guard’s reaction to the implosion unwarranted. OceanGate failed to notify them of its planned expedition. Their efforts in the search and discovery of the Titan wreckage were both effective and timely.

5. The current guidance on U.S. small passenger vessels of this type is insufficient. NTSB recommends that current international standards be adopted for consistent design, construction and operation of these vessels.

?The implosion was not the result of one fatal error but a combination of factors that led to the tragic implosion. Hull failure occurred because of OceanGate’s flawed engineering process which did not determine actual strength and durability of the carbon fiber composite vessel. Further an unknown internal damage occurred as well that led to the buckling and the implosion. Contributing were conflicting guidance between U.S. and international standards on the operation of these vessels and insufficient U.S. small passenger vessel regulations. OceanGate’s own pressure monitoring system data was flawed allowing continued operation of a damaged vessel.

The upshot from both the earlier U.S. Coast Guard report and this one from NTSB is that implementation of construction, safety, and operation standards must be implemented to ensure such vessels operate safely. They recommend the Coast Guard create a commission to do this and work with international bodies to make sure these standards are implemented. Until this is done, deep dives like this will probably will not occur.

Source

“Hull Failure and Implosion of Submersible Titan,” NTSB, last modified October 2, 2025, accessed October 21, 2025, https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/Pages/DCA23FM036.aspx.