Titan submersible implosion: US Coast Guard investigation could lead to criminal charges

The US Coast Guard has opened its highest-level investigation into the implosion that killed five people on a sightseeing trip to the Titanic wreckage.

OceanGate’s 6.5m-long Titan submersible lost contact with its command ship about 90 minutes after setting out. Picture OceanGate Expeditions via AFP

The US Coast Guard opened its highest-level investigation into the implosion that killed five people aboard a submersible on a sightseeing trip to the Titanic wreckage, a probe that could result in recommendations for civil or criminal penalties.

The process will leverage the coast guard’s investigative resources along with international co-operation to produce a conclusive report on the underwater disaster that sparked an extensive search off the coast of Canada, said Jason Neubauer, chief investigator for the US Coast Guard, on Sunday.

Given the complexities of the case, it is unclear how long it will take to piece together what happened to the lost Titan, privately owned and operated by OceanGate Expeditions, Captain Neubauer said. “My primary goal is to prevent a similar occurrence by making the necessary recommendations to advance the safety of the maritime domain worldwide.”

The inquiry, called a marine board of investigation, will salvage as much debris as possible from what remains of the Titan with the help of Canadian authorities in Newfoundland. Once all the on-scene evidence has been gathered, such investigations typically convene a formal hearing that is open to the public to gather witness testimony, Captain Neubauer said.

Interviews have been scheduled with the crew of the Polar Prince, the submersible’s command ship, he said.

The US Coast Guard is working with the National Transportation Safety Board, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada and marine safety agencies from France and England, he said. The TSBC on Friday announced its own investigation.

The US Coast Guard had previously said investigation efforts could be complicated in part because the implosion happened in international waters. Its investigation will seek to establish a definitive timeline for the Titan’s disappearance and what events might have led up to its implosion, Captain Neubauer said.

The 6.5m-long submersible set out around 8am on June 18. It lost contact with the Polar Prince about 90 minutes later.

A military acoustic detection system had picked up noises that could have been the vessel imploding hours after it launched, US Navy officials said last week. A multinational coalition continued to search for days, however, amid fears the five passengers might still be alive but would run out of air before they could be rescued.

Robotic equipment discovered components of the deep-sea vessel on Thursday on the ocean floor 500m from the bow of the Titanic, which sank in 1912.

The failure of the craft’s hull and the implosion were likely the result of the intense pressure at or near the sea floor.

The Titan was not registered as a US vessel or with international agencies that regulate safety. And it wasn’t classified by a maritime industry group that sets standards on matters such as hull construction. Questions about the submersible’s safety were raised by a former company employee and former passengers. The area around the Titanic wreck – which lies about 4000m below the surface – exerts about 6000 pounds of force per square inch on an object.

The men who died aboard the Titan were Stockton Rush, chief executive of OceanGate; Paul-Henry Nargeolet, considered a leading authority on the Titanic; Shahzada and Suleman Dawood, members of one of Pakistan’s richest families, and; Hamish Harding, a billionaire British aviator and explorer.

The Wall Street Journal