Scientists investigating the tragic Titan submersible disaster have revealed startling new details about the potential cause of its catastrophic implosion.
Scientists investigating the tragic Titan submersible disaster have revealed startling new details about the potential cause of its catastrophic implosion. Initially, it was believed that the vehicle had imploded from within due to a weakness in its exterior, unable to withstand the immense pressure of the deep sea. However, during a recent hearing on the incident, a scientist testified that Titan had experienced malfunctions days before its ill-fated mission to the Titanic in June 2023.
The malfunction caused passengers onboard to be "tossed around," with one crew member slamming into the bulkhead. According to Dr. Steven Ross, a physicist, this is where water may have first entered the Titan submersible. This theory is supported by an independent researcher who analyzed footage of the wreck released this week.
Astrophysicist Scott Manley suggested that a faulty connection between the carbon fiber hull and the titanium ring, located near the bulkhead, likely triggered the implosion.
The Titan sub disappeared on June 18, 2023, and the team behind its development is now on trial for the tragedy that claimed the lives of all five crew members.
Testifying before a US Coast Guard panel on Thursday, Dr. Steven Ross revealed that during the malfunction, "One passenger was hanging upside down, while the other two managed to wedge themselves into the bow end cap."
Dr. Ross, the former scientific director for OceanGate, stated he was unsure if an official assessment of Titan's hull was conducted before its dive into the Atlantic, though he vouched for the competence of the staff.
However, just days later, the Titan was lowered into the Atlantic, and the malfunction remained hidden until now.
Manley explained that if the failure had occurred in the middle of the Titan, water would have spread in both directions, leaving carbon fiber debris in both the front and rear sections of the submersible.
However, footage of the wreck revealed carbon debris only in the center of the hull. The nose cone was found intact without surrounding debris, while the tail section had been blasted off to the side.
"Based on what I know and what I see here, the pressure hull failed at the glue join between the carbon fiber and the titanium ring on the front of the sub, that failure propagated backward with the water pushing everything into the rear of the cabin in milliseconds," Manley shared on X.
I am in no way an expert on submersibles, but, based on what I know and what I see here, the pressure hull failed at the glue join between the carbon fiber and the titanium ring on the front of the sub, that failure propagated backwards with the water pushing everything into the… pic.twitter.com/3GQzeO041Q
— Scott Manley (@DJSnM)"The front just popped off, the bolts used to hold it in probably snapped due to the water rushing in, and the window shot out, no idea where that is," he added.
In a YouTube video, Manley elaborated on his theory, proposing that the failure originated at the front bulkhead, which divides the Titan's interior into watertight compartments. In this case, the critical area is a large silver ring made of titanium.
The astrophysicist, who is also a programmer for Apple, explained that water began to penetrate this region, creating a crack that spread toward the back of the submersible. This led to the hull being pushed backward while the sides were compressed inward.
"What's happening now equally you got waters rushing in through [the front gap] and the front nose, which popped the window out," Manley explained, emphasizing why the window was missing from the nose cone found on the seafloor.
He further elaborated that the inflow of water effectively tore the submersible apart from the inside out. This surge of water then slammed into the rear bulkhead, ultimately forcing the cone-shaped tail to separate from the rest of the Titan.
"So, what you are left with is [rear ring] and a bunch of carbon fiber debris," Manley added.
This was evident in the newly released footage. The titanium rings were bonded using an adhesive similar to epoxy glue, applied by hand. Interestingly, this is the same method the US Navy uses when constructing its submersibles.
"You need to have the titanium section and carbon fiber section agree in how they flex when pressure is applied. Otherwise, what will happen is you will get a transfer you will get extra stress. If that was off by a few percent, then that could add up to extra stress at these interfaces. But it could also be that the glue was crap and it fell apart," Manley said.