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 Titanic sub accident scenarios infographic
Graphic shows what could have happened to the Titan submersible.
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ACCIDENT

What could have gone wrong with missing Titanic submersible?

By Ninian Carter

June 21, 2023 - Experts have suggested four possible scenarios for what may have caused OceanGate’s Titan submersible to lose communication.

Experts have suggested four possible scenarios for what may have gone wrong for OceanGate’s Titan submersible to lose communication one hour and 45 minutes into its two-hour descent.

1) Blackout: Titan may have lost power and fallen to the seabed, or an inbuilt safety system could have helped it return to the surface, where it could be drifting.

2) Fire: An electrical short circuit could have caused a fire, creating toxic fumes and compromising the vehicle’s navigation and control systems.

3) Entangling: The sub could have become entangled in the Titanic wreck’s extensive debris field, which covers approximately 15 square kilometres.

4) Implosion: A defect in the composite hull could have caused an instantaneous implosion – killing all on board in less than 40 milliseconds.

Time is of the essence, with search and rescue teams needing to find and free the passengers before its four-day supply of oxygen runs out.

Sources
PUBLISHED: 21/06/2023; STORY: Graphic News
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