After the US Coastguard discovered pieces of debris from the Titan submersible, questions have surfaced as to what really happened.
The situation surrounding the vessel and its five passengers is now being reported with a sombre note as tributes from friends and family begin to be issued this morning. Officials are still uncertain of the timeline of events that took place following the submersible's loss of communication.
While the evidence gathered all but suggests that the vessel likely suffered an implosion, resulting in the death of all five passengers, we have broken down some of the things that could have gone wrong with the Titan.
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Implosion
Debris from the submersible provides the biggest clue as to what happened to the Titan. Rear Admiral John Mauger, of the US Coast Guard, said the debris is “consistent with a catastrophic implosion of the vessel”.
“This is an incredibly complex operating environment on the sea floor over two miles beneath the surface,” he added.
Undersea expert Paul Hankin said: “We found five different major pieces of debris that told us that it was the remains of the Titan. The initial thing we found was the nose cone which was outside of the pressure hull.
“We then found a large debris field. Within that large debris field we found the front-end bell of the pressure hull. That was the first indication that there was a catastrophic event.
“Shortly thereafter we found a second smaller debris field. Within that debris field we found the other end of the pressure hull – the aft end bell – which basically comprises the totality of that pressure vessel.
“We continue to map out the debris field, and as the admiral said, we will do the best we can to fully map out what’s down there.”
Officials are not certain how quickly the vessel imploded. Stockton Rush, CEO of OceanGate, explained that as you’re descending, you’ve got your depth and altitude… that’s pretty critical.
He added: "When you get close to the bottom, you have to be ready to drop some weight so you don’t go crashing into it, or thrust."
Trapped on the sea floor
Former Royal Navy submarine captain provided his theories on what could have happened to the Titan. He told PA news agency: “I think I said in one of my early interviews that there were probably two outcomes for this which is one, it’s lost communications and gone down to the bottom, and it’s stuck on the bottom.
The other one is that it lost communications and then suffered a catastrophic failure and imploded, which is what looks to be what happened. I think either one of two things has happened.
“Either the hatch with the 17 bolts they used to seal them in has had a failure, which has then caused the hull to collapse at pressure because there’s huge amounts of pressure, even halfway down, or the pressure hull itself had a defect in it when they sailed and that’s fractured from the pressure, and caused the same result.
“The only positive out of it is that it was instantaneous and they didn’t know anything.”
Fire on the vessel
With concerns being raised over the safety procedures that took place in regard to the structure of the vessel, some experts have suggested that a fire could have broken out on board. Eric Fusil, an associate professor and director of the shipbuilding hub at the University of Afelaide, told Associated press that toxic fumes from a fire could have rendered the crew unconcsious.
He highlighted that such a blaze would "compromise the vehicle's electronic systems" responsible for navigation and control.
Oxygen supply ran out
Experts highlighted that Titan's oxygen supply was never rigorously tested. While it was claimed the vessel had four days' worth of oxygen, it was never measured, according to reporter David Pogue.
Furthermore, due to the design of the Titan, which was bolted shut from the outside, the passengers would have been unable to open it even if they made it back to the surface.
