Analysis of the wreckage of OceanGate’s Titan submersible revealed how its hull broke apart.
Photographs of wreckage scattered on the sea floor show the carbon fiber hull had split into multiple layers – a known problem with the material.
Evidence was presented Wednesday to the US Coast Guard at a public hearing about the catastrophic failure of a sub in June 2023, which killed all five people on board.
It has not been confirmed that the hull was the first part of the sub to fail, but details suggest it is the focus of the investigation.
Investigators want to uncover the details of what led to the tragedy and find recommendations that may prevent future dangerous trips.
The Titan, operated by OceanGate, was less than two hours into its descent when it dived towards the wreck of the Titanic.
The body of the Titan is made of multiple layers of carbon fiber mixed with resin.
It is a very unusual material in the deep sea because it is not reliable under pressure – most crafts are made of metals such as titanium.
Don Kramer, an engineer for the National Transportation Safety Board, showed the US Coast Guard a series of photos of the submarine’s components.
He explained how in some pieces, the layers of carbon fiber separated – a process known as delamination.
In some places, the material was cracked.
It has not been confirmed whether damage to the boat caused the boat to explode.
“I’m not giving an analysis at the moment as to whether [the damage] it happens before or after the arrest,” he said.
Mr Kramer also explained how his team analyzed samples of Titan’s body that remained from its construction. They look at the offcuts from when the sub was made.
He explained that the samples show areas where the carbon fiber layers are separated, as well as wrinkles, voids and gaps.
Any misalignment of the material would affect the boat’s performance under high pressure underwater.
The US Coast Guard was also told how a loud noise was heard during a dive a year before the disaster that may have damaged the hull of the company.
Passengers reported when the sub returned to the surface after sinking the Titanic in 2022. One passenger described it as a “scary experience” when giving evidence last week.
At the time, OceanGate’s CEO, Stockton Rush, said he thought it was a sub-shift in the steel frame around it.
But a new analysis of sensor data by the National Transportation Safety Board suggested that the noise indicates some kind of change in the structure of the boat.
This is likely to alter the way the sub is able to respond to depth pressures.
Bill Kemper, of Kemper Engineering, was asked to compile an independent report on the Titan failure by the US Coast Guard.
He concluded that at the moment the root of the problem is not yet known.
“Right now, there’s a single point failure that can’t be measured, a single mode failure,” he told the Coast Guard.
In his lengthy presentation, he described several weaknesses in the sub’s design.
This includes the analysis of the sub window, which suggested that it is removed from the condition at each depth and this can eventually cause it to crack. He also pointed out serious problems with the carbon fiber hull.
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