US Coast Guard reveals key contributors to Titan submersible disaster

Washington: The USCoast Guard announced Tuesday that critical failures in design, certification, maintenance, and inspection by the USexploration comp...

Washington: The US Coast Guard announced Tuesday that critical failures in design, certification, maintenance, and inspection by the US exploration company OceanGate were the primary causes of the fatal Titan submersible disaster that claimed five lives.

The Coast Guard's Marine Board of Investigation (MBI) released a more than 300-page Report of Investigation detailing its key findings and 17 safety recommendations.

The report concluded that OceanGate's failure to adhere to established engineering protocols related to safety, testing, and maintenance was the primary causal factor in the incident.

Additional contributing factors cited in the report include a toxic workplace culture at OceanGate, an inadequate domestic and international regulatory framework for submersible operations and vessels of novel design, and an ineffective whistleblower process under the Seaman's Protection Act.

"For several years preceding the incident, OceanGate leveraged intimidation tactics, allowances for scientific operations, and the company's favorable reputation to evade regulatory scrutiny," the report said.