Reason Titan sub was largely still intact as video of wreckage after implosion is released

When footage of the discovery of the Titan sub wreckage was released, a number of people were surprised at the state they saw it in.

Last year, the OceanGate submersible was destroyed while diving down to the wreckage of the Titanic, resulting in the deaths of OceanGate's CEO Stockton Rush, the British explorer Hamish Harding, British-Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood, his son Suleman, and veteran French diver Paul-Henri Nargeolet.

The vessel's final message was to say that things were 'all good', but shortly afterwards on 18 June, 2023 it was destroyed by what the US Coast Guard said was a 'catastrophic implosion'.

In the days following loss of contact with the Titan, there were search efforts sent out in the hopes of finding the five people on board alive, but it wasn't long before their fates were known and wreckage of the submersible was found.

Yesterday (17 September), the US Coast Guard released footage of the discovery of some of the wreckage of the Titan, specifically the vessel's aft tail cone.

Footage of the sub being found may help shed some light on exactly what happened. (6abc Philadelphia)

Some people viewing the footage have wondered how the part of the sub still looks reasonably intact after a 'catastrophic implosion' destroyed it.

Back when the first parts of the wreckage were being discovered, physics professor Arun Bansil of Northeastern University told the Mirror why some chunks of the submersible had not been utterly destroyed in the implosion.

They said: "Although it seems counterintuitive, large objects do not normally split apart into smithereens in an implosion or explosion.

"For example, a pressure cooker usually explodes with the top blown off but the body remains intact. The initial failure of Titan would have occurred at its weakest links such as defects in the hull.

"Once a crack opens, however, large pieces of the hull will no longer experience very violent forces and remain more or less intact."

There is currently an ongoing inquiry to establish further facts about the Titan's destruction, and former OceanGate employees have been saying they tried to raise the alarm about safety concerns.

The Titan Sub before it was destroyed by an implosion. (OceanGate/Becky Kagan Schott)

Titan sub inquiry - everything we know from the investigation so far

A public hearing into the five deaths of the people onboard OceanGate's ill-fated Titan submersible began on Monday (16 September).

It is expected to last two weeks.

Titan was 'unregistered, non-certificated and unclassed'

The first day of the hearing (16 September) heard how the submersible was built in 2020 and was 'unregistered, non-certificated and unclassed', as well as having no identification number.

The submersible's hull was never subject to third-party checks and officials said it was left exposed to the elements, while in storage for seven months in 2022 and 2023.

Parts of Titan 'bonded together using an adhesive'

In 2017, the year OceanGate announced it would be conducting trips to the Titanic, employees bonded together the submersible's carbon fibre hull and titanium rings 'using an adhesive'.

Titan found 'partially sunk' month before tragedy

During its 2023 expedition, the Titan was found 'partially sunk' in the ocean.

Image released of Titan debris on sea floor

An image showing debris, including the Titan's tail cone, on the sea floor after the implosion was revealed.

This is the first image released of Titan wreckage found on the sea floor. (Pelagic Research Services)

Titan lost contact with support ship

Those onboard the Titan were communicating with support staff on the Polar Prince ship by text messages.

After a number of exchanges, Titan crew lost contact with Polar Prince as it descended.

One of last texts from submersible revealed

One of Titan’s final responses was revealed to be: "All good here."

Titan 'struck by lightening'

Tony Nissen, OceanGate Expeditions’ former engineering director, testified that the Titan was hit by lightening during a test mission in 2018.

Nissen, who was allegedly fired in 2019, after not letting the submersible go to the Titanic, told OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush it was 'not working like we thought it would'.

When asked to pilot the submersible, Nissen said: “I’m not getting in it.”

Titan engineer 'felt pressure to get submersible ready for wreck dive'

When asked if there was pressure to get the Titan into the water, Nissen replied: “100%.”

Waivers

While Bonnie Carl, OceanGate's former human resources and finance director, said she was aware of a waiver people had to sign. However, she didn't see some passengers sign one.

"When I was taking money, we hadn't even finished building the Titan," Carl claimed.

'No red flags' on day Titan went missing

Former OceanGate contractor Tym Catterson said: "There were no red flags... it was a good day."

The hearing continues...