Marine transportation
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Marine transportation safety investigation report
Executive summary from TSB investigation M23A0169: Implosion of the Titan submersible and loss of life
On 18 June 2023, the submersible Titan, with 5 people on board, was descending to the wreck of the Royal Mail Ship Titanic, located 372 nautical miles south-southeast of Cape Race, Newfoundland and Labrador.
Safety communications related to TSB investigation M23A0169: June 2023 implosion of the Titan submersible and loss of life
The occurrence
On June 18, 2023, the Titan submersible, owned by U.S. based company OceanGate, imploded while descending to the wreck of the Titanic with five people on board. At the time of the occurrence, the operation was supported by a Canadian cargo vessel, the Polar Prince, operated by Canadian company Horizon Maritime Services Ltd., which towed the Titan from St John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, to dive locations, as well as providing a base for OceanGate’s operations.
Findings from TSB investigation M23A0169: Implosion of the Titan submersible and loss of life
Investigations conducted by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) are complex since an accident rarely results from a single cause. In the case of the 2023 implosion of the Titan submersible which resulted in the death of five people on board, several factors led to the accident. The five findings below detail the causes and contributing factors that led to this occurrence.