Inadequate Design, Certification and Maintenance Led to Titan Disaster
The catastrophic implosion of the Titan submersible that killed five people in 2023 could have been prevented, a U.S. Coast Guard investigative board found on Tuesday, calling the vessel’s safety culture and operational practices “critically flawed.”The Titan vanished during a descent to the Titanic wreck on a tourist expedition, losing contact with its support ship.After a tense four-day search, its shattered remains were discovered strewn across the seabed 1,600 feet (488 meters) from the bow of the legendary ocean liner that sank in 1912…
Shipwrecks Podcast Launches with Archaeologist James Delgado
Marine trade feature author and shipwreck enthusiast, Kathy A. Smith, has launched a podcast dedicated to the people and the science of maritime archaeology.The first episode releases on November 3, and Smith’s first guest is Dr. James P. Delgado, former director of maritime heritage for NOAA, and noted expert in the field. Delgado has written more than 36 books, given hundreds of presentations worldwide and has been part of two popular TV documentary series – The Sea Hunters…
USCG Launches Titan Submersible Investigation
The U.S. Coast Guard convened a Marine Board of Investigation (MBI) -- the highest level of investigation in the Coast Guard -- into the loss of the Titan submersible and the five people on board. The crew of the Polar Prince research vessel lost contact with the Titan submersible 1 hour and 45 minutes into its dive on Sunday, June 18, 2023. After an extensive search and rescue effort, wreckage of the Titan submersible was located on the ocean floor approximately 500 meters off the bow of the Titanic.
Missing Titanic Submersible Update: Searchers Detect Subsea Sounds
Search teams detected underwater sounds while scanning the North Atlantic for a tourist submersible that vanished with five people aboard during a deep-sea voyage to the century-old wreck of the Titanic, the U.S. Coast Guard said early on Wednesday.The detection of the sounds by Canadian aircraft on Tuesday, day three of the search, was reported by the Coast Guard as the clock ticked down to the last 24 hours of the missing craft's presumed oxygen supply.Robotic undersea search operations were diverted to the area where the sounds seemed to originate…
