How One Captains Ignorance Led the TITAN Implosion | The TITAN’s Tragic Mistake
Sometimes, people break the rules and ignore safety precautions, which can have terrible consequences. That’s exactly what happened with the TITAN submersible, a special underwater vehicle. They made it using materials called carbon fiber and titanium, which are really strong but also prone to breaking easily. In this article, we’ll explore how the TITAN’s captain and crew made some big mistakes that caused the submarine to implode, leading to a terrible tragedy.
The Dangerous Cheap Materials
The Titan, a deep-sea submersible, was constructed using an unconventional combination of carbon fiber and titanium. Typically, submersibles have hulls made of stronger materials like steel or titanium. However, OceanGate, the company behind the Titan, opted for carbon fiber due to its lighter weight and lower cost.
Despite these advantages, carbon fiber lacks strength in compression, making it a risky choice for deep-sea exploration. A former employee of OceanGate raised concerns about the safety risks associated with the material, specifically regarding pressure cycling and potential hull damage.
OceanGate’s CEO, Stockton Rush, acknowledged that he had disregarded conventional materials but believed he had justified his decision through logic and good engineering. The company claimed that a 4,000 meter dive completed by the Titan in December 2018 validated their innovative engineering and the use of the carbon fiber and titanium hull.
“I think I’ve broken them with logic and good engineering behind me. Carbon fiber and titanium? There’s a rule you don’t do that,” he said in a 2021 interview with Mexican YouTuber Alan Estrada. “Well, I did.”
CEO of OceanGate
The Silent Destroyer
Using the wrong materials wasn’t the only problem. The TITAN also suffered from something called galvanic corrosion. This is when different metals, like the titanium frame and the metal nuts and bolts, come into contact with each other in the water. The water acts like a conductor, and it causes the metals to corrode or wear away. This made the TITAN even more vulnerable to breaking apart.
Declined Request of Expertise
OceanGate, the company behind the Titan submersible, developed an advanced acoustic monitoring system to detect hull failures. However, a former employee, David Lochridge, stated in a 2018 analysis that the system would provide only milliseconds of warning before a catastrophic implosion, rendering it effectively useless. Lochridge recommended non-destructive testing to ensure the hull’s safety, but OceanGate declined, claiming the hull was too thick for such testing.
It is unclear whether Lochridge’s concerns were addressed or if the recommended tests were conducted by OceanGate. The company declined to comment on Lochridge’s letter when approached by The New York Times.
Never passed Industry-standard Safety Test
There are concerns that the Titan submersible may not have undergone industry-standard safety testing or received proper certification. In 2019, the company argued that it did not need certification.
Journalist David Pogue, who boarded the Titan in 2022, signed a waiver acknowledging that the vessel was experimental and not approved by any regulatory body. It is uncertain if the ship has since been certified. Former employee David Lochridge reported that the front viewport of the vessel was only certified to a depth of 4,200 feet, much shallower than the depth of the Titanic.
The company’s approach to certification was questioned by the Marine Technology Society, noting that OceanGate claimed to meet or exceed certification standards but did not appear to follow them. OceanGate defended its decision, stating that operational risks rather than mechanical failures were the primary concern.
The Catastrophic Implosion
Unfortunately, the implosion of the TITAN happened suddenly and caused everyone on board to lose their lives. The carbon fiber shell, which was supposed to be strong, shattered into tiny pieces. It was a devastating event that no one could have survived.
The Lesson Learned
The story of the TITAN teaches us an important lesson: we should never ignore safety for the sake of progress. The captain and crew made a big mistake by not listening to the warnings. They paid a terrible price for their ambition and the desire to do something new and exciting.
Conclusion
The TITAN’s implosion was a tragic event that showed us the consequences of ignoring safety rules. We must always remember to prioritize safety, especially when working with new and risky materials. Let the story of the TITAN be a reminder to us all that safety should never be taken lightly and that the cost of overlooking it can be truly devastating.
