CALGARY — The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) has released its investigation report into the 2023 implosion of OceanGate’s Titan submersible, finding not only that there were technical issues in the vessel’s construction and design but also that there were broader risks related to oversight that allowed the ill-fated voyage to take place.In the TSB’s investigation, it was found that the Titan’s carbon fibre hull progressively failed, with damage accumulating during each dive. The hull’s as-built properties were never tested to ensure that they met the theoretical specification used in the design, and its construction did not follow standard engineering practices.It was also found that OceanGate’s risk management was affected by psychological and social factors and failed to identify and mitigate major risks associated with the vessel’s operation.Apart from concerns related to the Titan's design and OceanGate's organizational structure, the TSB identified a broader regulatory gap in the international oversight of submersibles..UPDATED: Tourist sub goes missing diving to Titanic wreck, British billionaire on board.The board noted that guidelines issued by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) governing the design and operation of submersibles are non-binding on member states, leading to inconsistent oversight and safety standards globally.“When it came to the Titan, critical information existed across multiple federal government organizations, but no one was responsible for connecting the dots," said Yoan Marier, chair of the TSB, in an official statement."Without a complete picture of the operation, the Titan continued to operate in Canada without regulatory oversight."On June 18, 2023, five people — including OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush — died when the Titan’s carbon fibre hull imploded while descending to the wreckage of the Titanic, 685 kilometres off the coast of St. John’s, Newfoundland.At the time of the incident, the dive was supported by the Polar Prince, a Canadian cargo vessel operated by Canadian company Horizon Maritime Services Ltd.The Polar Prince towed the Titan from St. John’s to dive locations and provided a base for OceanGate’s operations at sea.The TSB’s report — which was released a day ahead of the third anniversary of the incident — now recommends six actions for Transport Canada regarding enhanced safety and measures to close regulatory gaps.Among the recommendations are that Transport Canada should require all human-occupied submersibles in Canadian waters to be independently certified or classed by a recognized organization and create a mandatory registration system for human-occupied submersibles operating in Canadian waters.The TSB also recommends that the Canadian government work with the IMO to convert voluntary passenger-submersible guidelines into internationally recognized standards and promote stronger international oversight and safety requirements.
