Titan submersible mishap: Harvard professor explains how investigators might ascertain cause through ‘recovered debris’

The successful retrieval of the debris of Titan submersible, is expected to shed light on why the vessel imploded in deep sea killing all five of its occupants. Dr. Peter Girguis, a Harvard University professor and oceanographer interacted with the New York Post on Thursday and highlighted how the investigators might use the recovered pieces of Titan to ascertain the causes of the tragic incident.

“In a nutshell, investigators are going to be looking at the different pieces of hardware they recover and to try and pinpoint where a failure happened,” said Peter.

“You can look at the materials and look for patterns that point to where a failure happened and how it happened,” he added.

Peter also speculated about the likely weak points in Titan which led to its implosion. He zeroed in on the carbon fiber hull, the front viewport, or the interface between the titanium and the carbon fiber, as the likely culprits.

Peter who is an adjunct oceanographer in applied ocean engineering and physics at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, also pointed out to the Titan's round plexiglass window as a possible weak area. He highlighted that it was different from the “tried and true design” which had been proven and used for decades in other submersibles.

“The window on Titan deviated from that design. It would be worth looking at to understand its possible role in this catastrophe,” explained Peter.

The Harvard professor also noted the drastic change in temperature that might have occurred when Titan plunged into ice-cold deep sea.

“Changing temperatures dramatically can put added stress and strain on materials,” he said.

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As submersibles don't have anything similar to the black box recorder fitted to aircrafts, Peter ruled out the possibility of getting any electronic record onboard that might help investigators ascertain the causes of the disaster.

“Titan’s sort-of minimalistic approach means … it’s less likely that they’re going to find some record in the electronics of the vehicle,” said Peter.

Meanwhile, US Coast Guard have announced to have recovered “presumed human remains” from the Titan wreckage. United States medical professionals will conduct a formal analysis of the presumed human remains. It comes across as a sentimental boost for the families of the five individuals who died in the incident.

British billionaire businessman Hamish Harding, British father and son Shahzada and Suleman Dawood, OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush and former French navy diver Paul-Henry Nargeolet were the five persons who perished onboard Titan in the tragic mishap.

The investigations will help reduce the chances of similar incidents from happening in future.

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