From the Associated Press
Stay tuned for live updates on the submarine that exploded deep in the Atlantic Ocean, killing all five people on board during a trip to the Titanic wreck.
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TITAN’S CATASTROPHIC IMPLOSION INSTANTLY KILLS 5 INHABITANTS
Experts say the submarine Titan suffered a catastrophic implosion that likely killed its pilot and four passengers instantly amid high water pressure in the deep North Atlantic.
Marine explorers called an implosion the worst possible outcome of all scenarios predicted during the desperate round-the-clock search for the missing ship.
Experts have warned that under extreme pressure at extreme depths, the Titan’s hull could explode, causing instant death for everyone aboard the craft.
The larger interior volume of the 22-foot-long (6.7-meter), 23,000-pound (10,432-kilogram) Titan—though it was still cramped with a maximum of five people seated—meant it was subjected to greater external pressure.
The water pressure 12,500 feet (3,800 meters) below the surface of the Titanic wreck site is approximately 400 atmospheres, or 6,000 pounds per square inch.
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What you should Know:
“What caused Titan to explode?” At the moment, it is not even clear who will lead the investigation
— How the Titan submarine’s unconventional design may have doomed it
— Titanic expert, adventurer, CEO and father and son killed in Titan implosion
— The tourist submarine explosion draws attention to the murky rules of deep-sea expeditions
– ‘Titanic’ director James Cameron says search for missing submarine has turned into ‘nightmare charade’
— How much does Titan submersible search cost? The US Coast Guard bill alone will be in the millions
— The latest on the Titan submarine tragedy and what’s next for recovery efforts
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TITAN PASSENGERS MAY HAVE SIGNED A RISK WAIVER
The four passengers who died this week in the Titan explosion were most likely asked to sign waivers.
One of the waivers, signed by a person planning to go on an OceanGate expedition, requires passengers to acknowledge the risks associated with traveling on the Titan and any support vessels.
The waiver, reviewed by The Associated Press, states that passengers could suffer physical injury, disability, emotional trauma and death while aboard the Titan.
Passengers also waive the right to take action for “personal injury, property damage or any other loss” experienced during travel, the document states.
The form also made it clear that the ship was experimental and “constructed of materials that have not been widely used for manned submarines.”
The waiver could play a huge role as the families of the dead consider their legal options. Legal experts said what the investigation into the disaster reveals will determine much about the case, including what caused the ship to explode.
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CANADIAN TRANSPORTATION BOARD BEGINS INVESTIGATION
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada said Friday it is launching an investigation into the loss of the Titan that will focus on the cargo ship Polar Prince.
Polar Prince is a Canadian-flagged vessel that serves as the mother ship of the Titan submarine. The Transportation Safety Board will investigate the Polar Prince in its role as a support vessel and conduct a safety investigation into the circumstances of the operation, the agency said.
The agency said a team of investigators is traveling to St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador to gather information and conduct interviews. He said he would coordinate with other agencies in the coming days.
There were 17 crew members and 24 people on board the Polar Prince, the agency said.
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TITAN’S UNCONVENTIONAL DESIGN SUBJECTS SWIMS TO GREATER WATER PRESSURE
The deadly explosion of the Titanic submarine has raised questions about whether the ship exploring the wreckage of the Titanic was doomed because of its unconventional design and its builder’s refusal to undergo industry-standard safety checks.
Titan, owned and operated by OceanGate Expeditions, first began taking people to the Titanic in 2021. It was touted for a design that included a carbon fiber composite hull and an elongated cabin for crew and passengers – a departure from more traditional spherical cabins and all titanium construction.
Experts say that the cabin where people sit in most submarines is spherical because the water pressure is exerted equally on all areas. In comparison, the Titan’s chamber was a larger, more elongated tube shape.
At 22 feet (6.7 meters) long, the Titan’s larger 23,000-pound (10,400-kilogram) interior volume—though it was still cramped with a maximum of five people seated—meant it was subjected to greater external pressure.
While OceanGate promotes the Titan’s carbon fiber and titanium construction as “lighter and more efficient to mobilize than other deep-diving submarines,” experts say that carbon composites have a limited lifespan when subjected to excessive loads or poor design. resulting in stress concentrations.
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ADVENTURERS DISMISS OCEANGATE FRAUD LAW AFTER TITAN TRAGEDY
Two adventurers who sued OceanGate for fraud say they have dropped their case against the company that owns the Titan submarine.
Sharon and Mark Heigl sued OceanGate after they bet money on a trip to the Titanic wreck site and the trip never happened. The couple said the trip was rescheduled and canceled and they were told they would not receive a refund.
The Heigls are adventurers who became the first married couple on a commercial space flight last year, according to Purdue University, Mark’s alma mater.
The couple said in a statement to The Associated Press on Friday that they decided to drop their lawsuit after CEO Stockton Rush died, along with four passengers, and the Titan was lost at sea.
“Money is a driving force in our economy, but honor, respect and dignity are more important to the human soul,” the statement said. “We wish the entire OceanGate family and the families of those aboard Titan the best as they grieve the loss of their loved ones.”
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THE COST OF SEARCHING FOR TITAN WILL EASILY BE IN THE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS
The cost of searching for the missing Titan submarine will easily run into the millions of dollars for the US Coast Guard alone. The Canadian Coast Guard, the US Navy and other agencies and individuals also rushed to provide resources and expertise.
There is no other comparable search in the ocean, especially one involving so many countries and even commercial enterprises, said Norman Polmar, a naval historian, analyst and author based in Virginia.
Airplanes are expensive to operate.
The Pentagon has priced tens of thousands of dollars an hour for P-3 Orion turboprops and P-8 Poseidon jet submarines, along with C-130 Hercules, all used in the search.
Some agencies may request reimbursement. But the U.S. Coast Guard is generally barred by federal law from collecting compensation related to any search or rescue service, said Stephen Curting, a U.S. attorney in Maine who specializes in maritime law.
The first priority in search and rescue is always saving a life, and search and rescue agencies budget for those costs, said Mickey Hastings, president and CEO of the National Search and Rescue Association.
Rescue agencies don’t want people in trouble to think about the cost of a helicopter or other resources when their lives are in danger.
“Every person who is missing deserves to be found. That’s the mission, no matter who they are,” Hastings said.
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TITAN’S IMPLOSION RULES MUZZY REGULATIONS FOR DEEP-SEA TRAVEL
Titan’s journey down to the North Atlantic highlights the murky regulated waters of deep-sea exploration.
It is a space on the high seas where laws and conventions can be circumvented by risk-taking entrepreneurs and wealthy tourists who help finance their dreams. At least for now.
Thursday’s announcement by the U.S. Coast Guard that the Titan exploded near the wreck of the Titanic, killing all five people on board, has drawn attention to how these expeditions are regulated.
Titan operates in international waters, far beyond the reach of many laws of the United States or other nations. It is not registered as a U.S. vessel or with international agencies that regulate safety, nor is it classified by a marine industry group that sets standards on matters such as hull construction.
Stockton Rush, CEO of OceanGate Expeditions and a Titan pilot who was among the dead, had said he didn’t want to be bogged down by such standards.
Experts say wrongful-death and negligence lawsuits are likely in the Titan case — and they could be successful. But legal action will face a variety of challenges, including waivers signed by Titan passengers warning of the myriad ways they could die.
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CRITICS POINT TO LACK OF CERTIFICATION FOR TITAN SUBMARINE
Bob Ballard, a member of the research team that discovered the wreck of the Titanic in 1985, called the lack of certification from outside experts the “smoking gun” in the Titanic submarine case.
The US Coast Guard announced Thursday that the Titan, a small vessel headed for the wreck of the Titanic, suffered a catastrophic implosion, killing all five on board.
“We’ve done thousands and thousands and thousands of dives with other countries to these depths and we’ve never had an accident,” Ballard said Friday on ABC’s “Good Morning America.” “So this is the first time, and the smoking gun is that this is the first time from a submarine that is not classified.”
Appearing on the same show, Titanic director James Cameron called the lack of certification from an engineering organization or “rating agency” a “critical failure”.
He outlined several potential issues with the Titan’s design, but said the weakest link was the carbon fiber composite hull.
“You don’t use composites for vessels that are subjected to external pressure. They’re great for internal pressure vessels, like scuba tanks, for example, but terrible for external pressure,” he said. “So it was an attempt to apply aviation thinking to a deep submersion engineering problem. And we all said it was a bad idea.
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COAST GUARD SAYS FOCUS REMAINS ON SEARCH, FORMAL INVESTIGATION YET TO BE LAUNCHED
Still focused on the search, the U.S. Coast Guard said Friday that it had not yet opened a formal investigation into the disappearance and implosion of the Titan submarine.
Coast Guard officials announced Thursday that the ship headed for the wreck of the Titanic suffered a catastrophic implosion, killing all five aboard.
The Coast Guard said Friday morning that a formal investigation had not yet begun as the agencies involved were focused on the search and were still determining who had the proper jurisdiction and authority to lead it. Possibilities include the US Coast Guard, the Canadian Coast Guard, other federal or international agencies, or joint efforts.
The Coast Guard also said it was too early to say if policy changes would be made.