In June 2023, the deep-sea submersible 'Titan' explosion disaster that shook the world was ultimately revealed to be a 'predicted human disaster.' The United States Coast Guard (USCG) Marine Board of Investigation (MBI) released a 335-page final investigation report on the 5th (local time) and concluded that this disaster was 'a wholly preventable tragedy.' The direct causes that claimed five lives were attributed to improper design, certification, maintenance, and inspection procedures of the hull.
The expense for the Titan submersible tour was a staggering $250,000 (approximately 340 million won) per person. Due to the rarity of directly viewing the wreckage of the Titanic, which sank in the North Atlantic 111 years ago, wealthy explorers from around the world were drawn to it. At the time of the disaster, five people were onboard, including British billionaire explorer Hamish Harding and Pakistani tycoon Shahzada Dawood along with his 19-year-old son Suleman.
The report strongly criticized the unilateral decisions and safety negligence of Stockton Rush, the former CEO of the underwater exploration company OceanGate, which manufactured the submersible. It was revealed that he ignored repeated warnings from both internal and external experts that the carbon fiber cylindrical body was ill-suited to withstand the immense pressure at deep sea. According to the report, Rush either fired employees who raised safety concerns or pursued lawsuits against them to intimidate them. The report stated that if Rush had survived, the Department of Justice would have recommended an investigation for 'seaman's manslaughter.'
The Titan submersible itself was also filled with flaws, not just the owner's perception. The carbon fiber surrounding the hull was vulnerable to compressive forces, making it an unsuitable material for a deep-sea submersible. In fact, all four one-third scale model hulls constructed prior to actual production were destroyed during pressure testing. Particularly, the viewing port made of acrylic, which was largely opened for tourism, was only certified to withstand pressure levels of 650 meters, far shallower than the required depth of 3,800 meters to view the Titanic. Furthermore, the report noted that there is a high possibility that the hull sustained damage due to being left uncovered in an outdoor parking lot in Newfoundland, Canada, throughout the winter of 2022 to 2023.
The disaster was almost a foregone conclusion. According to the report, during a dive on July 15, 2022, the submersible got stuck in the wreckage of the Titanic. During its ascent, abnormal signals, such as a 'loud crash' coming from the hull, were detected. A loud crash usually occurs during the twisting and deformation of the carbon fiber. Despite sustaining irreparable damage to the hull from this incident, OceanGate proceeded with operations without conducting a thorough inspection. In 2018, an employee who pointed out safety issues with the hull was fired and subsequently blew the whistle to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). However, due to a lack of communication between agencies, no investigation took place, and the Coast Guard report mentioned that 'there were multiple opportunities to prevent this tragedy.'
Jason Neubauer, chair of the Marine Board of Investigation, stated, 'This maritime accident and the loss of five lives could have been prevented,' adding, 'Through the investigation, we identified several causes that led to this tragedy and gained valuable lessons to prevent future accidents.' James Cameron, the director of the film 'Titanic' and a deep-sea exploration expert, criticized after the incident, saying, 'Both the Titanic and Titan ignored warnings about danger, leading to repeated tragedies in the same location.'
Analysis emerged that this disaster revealed just how perilous high-risk travel has become, a trend popular among the wealthy and younger generations. OceanGate operated the submersible in international waters to avoid regulatory oversight, using clever tactics to evade responsibility by referring to paying passengers as 'mission specialists.'
There are also concerns that the recent surge in private space travel and tourism near active volcanoes, which challenge unknown territories, could lead to tragedies similar to Titan if safety verifications are inadequate. The U.S. Coast Guard recommended in the report that 'a unified international standard for the design, construction, and maintenance of submersibles be established, and that the communication capabilities of submersibles be enhanced.'