Titanic tourist sub goes missing in Atlantic Ocean, June 2023

[MassGuy]

we just have no idea what went wrong or how bad it is...all systems? just communication? it is like a bad Star Trek episode and I do not mean to make light of the human misery. Usually with equipment (tranportation, nuclear, etc.) there is a strict maintenance and maintenance check schedule. Wonder if they had one?

I really think they’ve been dead for over a day. That’s not because I can’t imagine the horror of being stranded in a coffin on the ocean floor. I think this was quick, and the structure failed.

 

[citygirl]

Have been following with a heavy heart.
So appreciate all the well informed posts.

 

[MsMarple]

The Titan was originally scheduled to take people down for the first time in 2018, but the vessel was damaged by lightning during testing and had to be repaired, tech news website GeekWire reported.

Then, in 2020, the Titan had to be “rebuilt” after its hull showed signs of “cyclic fatigue” during testing, GeekWire reported.

Finally, in 2021, OceanGate completed a successful mission to the Titanic in Titan, The New York Times reported. But issues with the dives didn’t stop there.
…
The Associated Press also reported that in 2022, the Titan had battery issues and later sustained so much external damage that OceanGate had to cancel its second mission to the Titanic. Even so, the company was able to complete successful missions to the Titanic in the Titan after the canceled mission.

5 things to know about OceanGate Expeditions, the company behind the lost Titanic sub

The Titan submersible is a one-of-a-kind vessel with some non-traditional parts. Here are 5 things to know about OceanGate Expeditions.

www.boston.com

I wouldn’t get into that sub for 250 million dollars!

 

[Warwick1991]

From the game controller to the lighting and the other primitive touches, I seriously doubt the effectiveness of any of the means for emergency surfacing. It sounds like something built in a garage, without rigorous testing and computer modeling. A seaworthy commercial submersible would have tested, robust equipment throughout. My opinion is that the hull imploded during descent, as the time elapsed from the loss of communications suggested they never reached the wreck. An implosion during descent, as the pressure increased, would be a likely mode of failure for this poorly designed vessel. It is a miracle that it returned from previous trips.

 

[LaborDayRN]

I think when we hear playstation/xbox controller, then our brains maybe equate that with 'toy' and that makes it sound ridiculous and low tech? But I think the technology in it is the same as what you'd use if you were designing your own controller, so why spend a million on designing something you can buy for $50? It's very unlikely imho that this is the part that's gone wrong. They have backups, so I don't think the batteries in all of them failed at the same time.

It might 'sound' crazy, but I think with this part that's all it is, that it 'sounds' stupid, but really the only thing that matters is if it works, has reliability, and backups.

Knowing that a game controller can break (being plastic) I hope they brought an extra on board.

 

[CoverMeCagney]

I really think they’ve been dead for over a day. That’s not because I can’t imagine the horror of being stranded in a coffin on the ocean floor. I think this was quick, and the structure failed.

I agree, especially having seen the seven ways to manually return to surface - they’d have done it if they could. So either they’re all dead because of a catastrophic failure, or, god help them, they’re tangled up and have the sickening realisation they likely won’t get rescued before the oxygen runs out.

Will they ever be found? Will we ever find out what happened?

(I was convinced flight MH370 would be found within a week or two, yet it was almost a decade ago. I’m less optimistic this time)

 

[Warwick1991]

Knowing that a game controller can break (being plastic) I hope they brought an extra on board.

The difference between the game controller and equipment suitable for a submersible is testing and robustness. It would need to be tested for moisture resistance (it was probably a very humid environment), dropping, and repeated use.

 

[Sarahlou]

Knowing that a game controller can break (being plastic) I hope they brought an extra on board.

In a video about the sub they said they have some spare controllers on board.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

I think when we hear playstation/xbox controller, then our brains maybe equate that with 'toy' and that makes it sound ridiculous and low tech? But I think the technology in it is the same as what you'd use if you were designing your own controller, so why spend a million on designing something you can buy for $50? It's very unlikely imho that this is the part that's gone wrong. They have backups, so I don't think the batteries in all of them failed at the same time.

It might 'sound' crazy, but I think with this part that's all it is, that it 'sounds' stupid, but really the only thing that matters is if it works, has reliability, and backups.

One of my sons used to work for a HVAC vent steam cleaning company. His boss sent him out to a high dollar apartment complex. When he walked thru the door, he saw a huge, I mean like wall size monitor and what looked like was a high tech game system. There were two guys flying drones for some kind of military function. They were using X-Box controllers. Oh yeah, both my sons have been gamers since they could use their thumbs and they can make that controller do all kinds of sophisticated stuff. They’re in their 40’s now.

 

[MsMarple]

1. no- the CEO trusts his technology
2. did they check everything 2 or 3 times before descending or get "sloppy?"
3. how many times has this vessel been down and up- do we know?

Regarding #3 I’d like to know too. The article I posted said Titan completed 50 test dives and has taken at least two dozen people down to see the Titanic but it doesn’t state how deep the test dives went.

I wonder, how many dives can the Titan make before the hull starts to weaken?

 

[Interested_But_Confused]

I think when we hear playstation/xbox controller, then our brains maybe equate that with 'toy' and that makes it sound ridiculous and low tech? But I think the technology in it is the same as what you'd use if you were designing your own controller, so why spend a million on designing something you can buy for $50? It's very unlikely imho that this is the part that's gone wrong. They have backups, so I don't think the batteries in all of them failed at the same time.

It might 'sound' crazy, but I think with this part that's all it is, that it 'sounds' stupid, but really the only thing that matters is if it works, has reliability, and backups.

I completely agree with you, though we seem to be in the minority.

Looking at the design and construction of Titan, I have many problems with the way it was built and the lack of thorough testing. But the fact that it uses standard off-the-shelf PC components doesn't concern me at all. In a well-designed sub the computers shouldn't be mission critical to begin with, so it really shouldn't matter whether the controller was built by NASA, Logitech or Lego.

 

[JDG]

Experts say chances of rescuing Titanic explorers are wretched

As the hours slowly dwindle to rescue four Titanic explorers trapped in a freezing 22ft tube at the bottom of the Atlantic, experts said their chances seemed wretched tonight.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[arielilane]

The vessel that went missing Sunday in the North Atlantic while exploring the Titanic's wreckage is a submersible, not a submarine, and there is a key difference.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1671284333988937729

The vessel missing near the Titanic wreck is a submersible, not a submarine: Here's the difference

The vessel that went missing Sunday in the North Atlantic while exploring the Titanic’s wreckage is a submersible not a submarine, and there is a key difference.

www.news4jax.com

Updated: June 20, 2023 at 2:55 PM


The Titan, with five people on board, remained missing Tuesday even as an international search and rescue effort was underway.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration explains the difference. A submarine has enough power to leave port and come back to port under its own power.

But a submersible has more limited power and range. It needs a mother ship from which to launch, to return to, and for support and communications.

 

[Lexiintoronto]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1671251709270581250

Thank you for posting that. It’s a must watch, imo.

 

[StarryStarryNight]

There’s your problem…

Titan submersible maker OceanGate faced safety lawsuit in 2018: "Potential danger to passengers"

Court documents show that the company fired an employee who raised concerns about the underwater vessel's design.

www.cbsnews.com

 

[CoverMeCagney]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1671251709270581250

Wow, that was emotional. Thanks for posting it.

 

[lonetraveler]

Regarding #3 I’d like to know too. The article I posted said Titan completed 50 test dives and has taken at least two dozen people down to see the Titanic but it doesn’t state how deep the test dives went.

I wonder, how many dives can the Titan make before the hull starts

I want to know if any NDT (Non Destructive Testing) was done on the hull. The inspector was fired when he suggested this be done. I agree with @MassGuy that the sub probably imploded on the way down. Titan submersible maker OceanGate faced safety lawsuit in 2018: "Potential danger to passengers"

 

[lonetraveler]

Not trying to be funny in this very dire situation but if this was a Tom Clancy novel, the billionaires would be being held hostage somewhere and never entered the sub. Actually, that would be the good scenario. JMO

 

[Warwick1991]

The final ping was probably an indication that the hull was failing.

 

[arielilane]

Tweet is from two hours ago, possibly already posted. It's hard to keep up at times

Aid vessel for Titanic-bound submersible search leaves Buffalo airport

https://twitter.com/x/status/1671258442781138947

Aid vessel for Titanic-bound submersible search leaves Buffalo airport

Titan, the missing submersible, lost contact with its support vessel about an hour and 45 minutes after submerging into the northern Atlantic Ocean, the U.S. Coast Guard says.

www.mypanhandle.com

Updated: Jun 20, 2023 / 01:39 PM CDT

CHEEKTOWAGA, N.Y. (WIVB) – Three C-17 military aircraft were set to take off from the Buffalo Niagara International Airport on Tuesday, with one carrying a submersible capable of diving 6,000 meters in an effort to find a vessel that went missing Sunday morning near the site of the Titanic sinking.

The submersible coming from Western New York to help in the search was made by Pelagic Research Services, a company with offices in East Aurora. They’ve collaborated with entities like the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative, among others.