Titan submersible crew’s last messages revealed during inquiry | BBC News

Summary

A public hearing has disclosed the final text messages from the ill-fated Titan submersible, which imploded during a dive to the Titanic wreck, killing all five on board. The messages, exchanged with the mother ship, indicated no awareness of impending disaster. The US Coast Guard is investigating the cause and preventability of the accident. The hearing revealed a history of 118 malfunctions in the sub over two years, including a detached dome and battery failure. Ocean Gate CEO Stockton Rush opposed an independent safety assessment, citing cost and innovation concerns.

Takeaways

• 🚨 The Titan submersible disaster resulted in the tragic loss of all five people on board while exploring the wreck of the Titanic.
• 📱 Final text messages sent from the submersible indicated that everything was 'all good' before it imploded.
• 🔍 The US Coast Guard is investigating the cause of the disaster to determine if it could have been prevented.
• 📸 A public hearing has been initiated to reveal more details about the incident, including the first image of the wreckage on the seabed.
• 🕵️‍♂️ The victims included a British explorer, a British Pakistani businessman and his father, and a French diver.
• 🛠️ The Titan sub had a history of technical issues, with 118 problems reported during its 133 expeditions in 2021 and 2022.
• ⏱️ The timeline of the final dive was detailed, with the last message sent shortly before the sub imploded.
• 🗣️ Stockton Rush, CEO of Ocean Gate, opposed an independent safety assessment, citing time and cost as reasons.
• 💡 Despite the tragedy, Rush argued that innovation should not be stifled by extensive safety measures.
• 📅 The hearings into the Titan disaster are expected to continue for two more weeks to uncover the full extent of what went wrong.

Q & A

What was the purpose of the Titan submersible?

The Titan submersible was designed to take passengers to the wreck of the Titanic.

What happened to the Titan submersible during its dive?

The Titan submersible imploded, resulting in the tragic loss of all five people on board.

Who were the individuals that perished in the Titan submersible disaster?

The victims included British explorer Haish Harding, his father British Pakistani businessman Shazard Darwood, French diver pH Nag, and Stockton Rush, the CEO of Ocean Gate.

What was the final text message sent by the Titan before the disaster?

The last message sent by the Titan at a depth of 3,346 meters stated that it had dropped two weights.

What was the depth at which the Titan submersible imploded?

The Titan submersible imploded at a depth of approximately 3,800 meters.

What was the timeline of the Titan's final dive according to the hearing?

The Titan began its dive at 9:14 AM, with the last message sent at 10:47 AM.

What issues were previously reported with the Titan submersible?

During its expeditions in 2021 and 2022, there were 118 reported problems including the front dome falling off, thrusters failing at 3,500 meters, and batteries dying during a dive.

What was Stockton Rush's stance on an independent safety assessment for the Titan?

Stockton Rush was against an independent safety assessment, citing it as being too time-consuming, expensive, and stifling innovation.

What is the role of the US Coast Guard in the aftermath of the Titan disaster?

The US Coast Guard is assessing what went wrong with the Titan submersible and whether the accident could have been prevented.

What is the current status of the hearings into the Titan disaster?

The hearings are ongoing and are expected to continue for two more weeks.

What was the purpose of the public hearing into the Titan disaster?

The public hearing aims to establish exactly what went wrong with the Titan submersible and to determine if the accident could have been prevented.

Outlines

00:00

🚤 Titan Submersible Disaster Investigation

A public hearing has been conducted to investigate the Titan submersible disaster, which occurred during a dive to the Titanic wreck. The final text messages from the submersible revealed a seemingly normal operation with the last message stating 'all good here' before the craft imploded, resulting in the tragic loss of all five people on board. The communication was maintained between the submersible and the mother ship on the surface. An image of the wreckage was also shown for the first time. The US Coast Guard is assessing the cause of the accident to determine if it could have been prevented. The victims included a British explorer, a British Pakistani businessman and his son, and a French diver. The CEO of Ocean Gate, the company operating the submersible, expressed his reluctance for an independent safety assessment, citing time and cost as prohibitive factors. The hearing aims to establish the exact cause of the disaster, and it is set to continue for two more weeks.

Keywords

💡Titan

Titan refers to the submersible involved in the disaster, which was a vehicle designed to carry passengers to explore the deep sea. In the context of the video, it is the central subject of the disaster investigation, highlighting the tragic event where the sub imploded, resulting in the loss of all lives on board.

💡Submersible

A submersible is a type of watercraft capable of operating underwater, often used for exploration and research. In the video, the term is used to describe the Titan, emphasizing its purpose and the technological aspect of the disaster, as it was a sophisticated craft designed for deep-sea exploration.

💡Disaster

The term disaster in this context refers to a catastrophic event that led to the loss of life and significant property damage. The video script describes the Titan's implosion as a disaster, underscoring the gravity of the incident and the focus of the public hearing to determine the cause and preventability.

💡Text Messages

Text messages are brief written communications sent electronically, often used in the context of the video to refer to the last communications from the submersible to the surface. The final text messages sent by the Titan are highlighted in the script, indicating the normalcy perceived by the crew right before the disaster.

💡Wreck

A wreck refers to the remains of a ship or other vehicle that has been severely damaged or destroyed. In the video, the wreck of the Titanic is mentioned as the intended destination of the Titan, and the wreck of the Titan itself is shown, symbolizing the tragic end of the submersible's journey.

💡US Coast Guard

The US Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for maritime safety, security, and environmental stewardship. In the video, the Coast Guard is tasked with assessing the disaster, indicating their role in investigating maritime accidents and ensuring safety standards.

💡Implosion

Implosion refers to the collapse or destruction of a structure due to internal pressure. The script describes the Titan as having imploded, which is a critical term in understanding the nature of the disaster and the potential causes being investigated.

💡OceanGate

OceanGate is the company that operated the Titan submersible. The script mentions OceanGate as the entity responsible for the sub's operations, linking the company to the disaster and suggesting that their practices and safety measures are under scrutiny.

💡Public Hearing

A public hearing is a formal meeting where the public can hear and discuss matters of concern. In the video, the public hearing is the forum for investigating the disaster, indicating a transparent process to determine what went wrong and to hold accountable those responsible.

💡Safety Assessment

A safety assessment is an evaluation of the potential hazards and risks associated with an activity or operation to ensure it is conducted safely. The video discusses the lack of an independent safety assessment for the Titan, suggesting that such an assessment might have identified issues that could have prevented the disaster.

💡Innovation

Innovation refers to the introduction of new ideas, devices, or methods. In the context of the video, the term is used by Stockton Rush, the CEO of OceanGate, to argue against independent safety assessments, suggesting that they might hinder the progress of new technologies. This term is significant as it reflects the debate between safety and the push for new advancements in deep-sea exploration.

Highlights

Public hearing reveals final text messages sent by those on board the Titan submersible before it imploded.

The submersible was headed towards the wreck of the Titanic when the accident occurred.

Communications between the sub and the mother ship were patchy as the Titan made its descent.

An image showing the wreck of the submersible on the seabed was presented at the hearing.

The US Coast Guard will assess the cause of the accident and if it could have been prevented.

The wreckage of the Titan sub is located nearly 3,800 meters down on the Atlantic sea floor.

Victims included British explorer, a British Pakistani businessman, and a French diver.

Ocean Gate's Titan sub had a history of 118 malfunctions in 2021 and 2022.

The sub's front dome had fallen off, thrusters failed, and batteries died during previous expeditions.

The timeline of the final dive and the last text messages were presented at the hearing.

The last message from the sub indicated it had dropped two weights before communication was lost.

There were no indications in the messages that passengers were aware of any issues.

Stockton Rush, Ocean Gate CEO, opposed an independent safety assessment, citing time and cost as reasons.

Rush argued that an independent assessment would stifle innovation.

The hearings into the Titan disaster are expected to continue for two more weeks.

Transcripts

a public hearing into the Titan

submersible disaster has revealed the

final text messages sent by those on

board as they headed towards the wreck

of the Titanic one read all good here

before the craft imploded and killed all

PE all the people on board the

communications were between the sub and

the mother ship on the surface as Titan

made its descent in June last year the

hearing was also shown this image

showing the wreck of the submersible

scene on the seabed for the first first

time the US Coast Guard will assess what

went wrong and whether the accident

could have been prevented here's our

science editor Rebecca

Morel the wreckage of ocean Gate's Titan

sub its tail cone lying nearly 3,800 M

down on the Atlantic sea

floor it was taking passengers to the

Titanic when it imploded killing all

five people on

board those who died were British

Explorer haish Harding suan Darwood and

his father British Pakistani businessman

shazard Darwood French diver pH nag and

Stockton Rush Ocean Gate

CEO I would like to ask that everyone

present please stand for a moment of

silence in respect to those persons who

perished as a result of this casual now

a public hearing has started to

establish exactly what went wrong this

is a full scale model of ocean Gates

Titan sub we've heard more about its

previous Expeditions it went to the

Titanic Panic recite 133 times in 2021

and

2022 and during those two years there

were 118 things that went wrong with the

sub including the front Dome falling off

when it was brought out of the sea its

thrusters which steered the craft

failing at 3,500 M and its batteries

died on one dive leaving the passengers

stuck inside for 27 hours we also

learned the timeline of its final dive

and the last few text messages sent

between the sub and the surface Titan

began its dive at 9:14 in the morning

local time at 9:18 there was a

Communications check after that coms

were patchy about an hour into the dive

at 10:16 Titan sent a message saying all

good here and at 10:25 at a depth of

2,600 M it said it was to the southeast

of Titanic's bow the last message was

sent at 10:47 at a depth of 3,34

six Meers titon said it had dropped two

weights after that communication was

lost the sub had imploded but there's

nothing in the messages to suggest that

the passengers on board had any idea

that anything was wrong the meeting

heard by Stockton Rush didn't want an

independent safety assessment Stockton's

first um issue was it was time and cost

take too long and way way too expensive

it's ridiculous and in his

words um it stifles Innovation I said

well you know you could still be

Innovative the hearings into the Titan

disaster continue for two more weeks

Rebecca Morell BBC News