Edward Cassano, CEO of Pelagic Research Services on finding and recovery of the Titan Submersible
A new Titan sub theory has arisen as scientists believe the OceanGate craft could have been dragged by its cheaper mothership.
Experts have widely agreed the sub-par materials used to build the sub contributed to its likely implosion because of the huge underwater pressure put on the vessel.
Engineering experts have said the cost-cutting measures adopted by OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, who also died in the incident, had disastrous consequences for all five crew members on board on June 18.
The experts compared the Titan with US Government research submersible Alvin to expose a series of considerable design flaws that they argue were crucial in the vessel’s implosion.
They pointed out the Alvin was given a spherical shape and equipped with an all-titanium hull, and would be transported to the launch site on the deck of a mothership.
The Titan and its platform were dragged to the launch site instead of being loaded on the mothership (Image: OCEANGATE•CBC)
The Titan has no dedicated mothership and was not loaded on its mothership – but was instead dragged through the rough waters of the Atlantic Ocean from its small dive platform.
OceanGate hired a decommissioned Canadian Coast Guard icebreaker, the Polar Prince, which was smaller compared to ships used for other launches as Rush looked to save on costs.
The sub was pulled to the launch site for hundreds of miles using a tow cable. The company said it was “unable to provide additional information at this time” on whether dragging the Titan could have somehow managed the vessel.
Arnie Weissman said the Polar Prince had been used to tow the vessel he would be embarking on in May for the 435 miles between the Newfoundland coast and the launch site.
Speaking to The New York Times, Weissman said: “I thought the sub and platform were being tossed around pretty roughly.”
The Titan’s remains were found approximately 1,600 meters from the Titanic wreck (Image: AP)
The Travel Weekly editor-in-chief said he waited a week on board the mothership for the weather to clear, but the mission had to be called off.
Sharing his experience, he claimed the sub and platform nearly came to a disastrous end after becoming nearly fully submerged.
He said: “At the end of the rope that linked the stern of the ship to the platform, we saw that the front of the platform and the sub were under water.”
Weissman said the crew at the time was not sure what had happened exactly but suggested a fishing buoy spotted earlier could have become entangled with the platform and dragged it under.
The engineers reviewing the accident also warned the pill shape OceanGate adopted for their vessels may not have provided the same level of tested protection from pressure a sphere would give.
The engineers once again cited the Alvin, which has been involved in more than 4,500 dives since 1973, saying that the shape allows the water pressure to be evenly distributed across the whole hull of the vessel.
The Alvin is sphere-shaped and has an all-titanium hull (Image: OFFICE OF NAVAL RESEARCH)
However, because of its size, only two passengers at the time would be allowed on board. The Titan’s crew space was roomier and could take up to five people.
OceanGate, whose CEO claimed to want to revolutionize deep-sea exploration, charged $250,000 per passenger for the company’s missions to the Titanic wreck.
When the Titan went missing in June, Rush was joined on board by daredevil billionaire Hamish Harding, pilot Paul-Henri Nargeolet, and father-and-son duo Shahzada and Suleman Dawood.
The all-titanium hull was also exchanged for a cheaper carbon-fiber structure capped by titanium hemispheres at each side.
In addition to costing less, carbon fiber is also lighter than titanium and helped reduce the overall weight of the vessel to 21,000 pounds compared to Alvin’s 45,000.
The Titan could take up to five passengers (Image: DAILY EXPRESS US)
But the engineers also warned the material is much more breakable and would not have been able to sustain the pressure. The sub had also experience stress from the two dozen dives it went on before.
University of Plymouth Academic Jasper Graham-Jones told Associated Press: “Yes, composites are extremely tough. Yes, composites are extremely long-lasting.
“But we do have issues with composites and the fact that composites fail in slightly different ways than other materials.”
Talking of the stress the hull likely experience before, he added: “This might be small and undetectable to start but would soon become critical and produce rapid and uncontrollable growth.”
Graham-Jones also challenged OceanGate’s alleged refusal to accept expert advice after ensuring their vessels conformed to industry standards.
The company argued in 2019 that third-party certification caused considerable development delays and was “anathema to rapid innovation.”
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