OceanGate’s ill-fated Titan submersible had a troubled history of malfunctions even before its tragic implosion at the ocean’s depths last month, according to former passengers. Concerns had been raised by industry experts and staff regarding the sub’s potentially dangerous design, but CEO Stockton Rush remained confident in the product and continued to take it on perilous dives until its final journey. The sub imploded while on a dive to the Titanic wreckage, resulting in the loss of all five passengers, including Rush.
Here are some instances of previous malfunctions experienced during dives with the Titan submersible. During a dive in the Bahamas in 2019, a former passenger reported hearing cracking sounds, which raised concerns about the integrity of the sub’s hull. Submersible expert Karl Stanley, a friend of Rush, warned the CEO about potential panic that could arise among passengers if they encountered similar sounds 2 miles underwater. Stanley also advised conducting more testing before allowing paying passengers on board.
In 2018, the submersible was struck by lightning during a test dive in the Bahamas. Although the carbon-fiber hull was not directly hit, CEO Stockton Rush admitted that it could have caused significant damage to the vessel. Over 70% of the sub’s internal systems were affected by the lightning strike.
Loss of communication was a recurring issue on dives with the Titan sub. One passenger, Mike Reiss, recounted how the sub lost communication with its support ship on every dive he took, resulting in resurfacing. Another passenger, Brian Weed, experienced a propulsion system failure and loss of communication during a test dive in 2021, leaving them stranded underwater for over two hours. Weed described the experience as the only time he felt that something was amiss during his dangerous expeditions.
During a dive two years ago, the mechanism that releases the sub’s weights failed, requiring passengers to physically rock the sub from side to side to dislodge them. This malfunction created apprehension among passengers, who were relieved when the weights finally came loose.
In 2022, the Titan sub went missing for several hours during filming for a CBS TV segment. Communication with the surface ship was limited to text messages, and the sub’s autonomous navigation capabilities were unreliable. Ultimately, the sub was able to resurface, but the planned exploration of the Titanic wreckage had to be canceled.
Another dive in 2022 resulted in the sub losing control and spinning in circles due to malfunctioning thrusters. This incident occurred only 1,000 feet away from the Titanic wreckage and was documented on the BBC’s “The Travel Show.” CEO Stockton Rush had to troubleshoot the issue, eventually allowing the sub to reach its intended destination.
Tragically, the Titan sub’s final malfunction proved to be fatal. On June 18, while descending to the Titanic, the sub lost contact with its support ship, triggering a search operation. The US Coast Guard discovered debris from the submersible about 1,600 feet from the bow of the Titanic, indicating a catastrophic implosion during its initial descent. All five passengers, including Rush, likely perished instantly. Advisors to OceanGate and deep-sea explorer James Cameron have suggested that the crew was aware of an issue and made an attempt to resurface before the submersible was destroyed.
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