Titanic sub accident scenarios

Experts have suggested four possible scenarios for what may have caused OceanGate’s Titan submersible to lose communication
  

RMS Titanic

Length: 269m

1912: Hits iceberg and splits in two on maiden voyage – bow and stern lie 600m apart, 3,800m below surface

ICONIC BUILDINGS COMPARISON

EMPIRE STATE BUILDING

BURJ KHALIFA

1km

Dimensions to scale


Blackout: Titan may have lost power and fallen to sea bed, or inbuilt safety system could have helped sub return to surface, with crew unable to access fresh air
 
Fire: Short circuit could have caused fire, creating toxic fumes and compromising electronic systems used for control and navigation
 
Entangling: Sub could have become snared in extensive debris field, created as Titanic sank – which covers approximately 15km2

Implosion: Defect in composite hull could have caused near instantaneous implosion – killing all five people on board in less than 40 milliseconds


Time is critical – search and rescue teams need to find and free crew before water and oxygen supplies run out


Sources: ABC News, Scientific American/The Conversation 
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