# Canonical recap data for Titan Submersible Implosion in North Atlantic (2023)
# Source: https://recap.at/2023/titan-submersible-implosion
# Format: YAML 1.2 (UTF-8). Generated at request time.
slug: titan-submersible-implosion
canonicalUrl: "https://recap.at/2023/titan-submersible-implosion"
title: Titan Submersible Implosion in North Atlantic
aliases:
- Titan submersible disaster
- OceanGate implosion
- Titanic expedition disaster
subtitle: The catastrophic implosion of OceanGate's Titan submersible during a Titanic wreck expedition killed all five aboard and exposed fatal lapses in deep-sea exploration safety.
recapType: global_event
eventStatus: concluded
startDate: 2023-06-18
datePrecision: day
year: 2023
decade: 2020
country:
name: Canada
slug: canada
summaryShort: On 18 June 2023, Titan, a submersible operated by the American tourism and expeditions company OceanGate, imploded during an expedition to view the wreck of the Titanic in the North Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada. Aboard the submersible were Stockton Rush, the American chief executive officer of O
summaryLong: On 18 June 2023, Titan, a submersible operated by the American tourism and expeditions company OceanGate, imploded during an expedition to view the wreck of the Titanic in the North Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada. Aboard the submersible were Stockton Rush, the American chief executive officer of OceanGate; Paul-Henri Nargeolet, a French deep-sea explorer and Titanic expert; Hamish Harding, a British businessman; Shahzada Dawood, a Pakistani-British businessman; and Dawood's son, Suleman.
lede: On June 18, 2023, the Titan submersible imploded during a descent to the Titanic wreck off Newfoundland, killing all five people aboard, including OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush. The catastrophic failure exposed how a private deep-sea tourism venture had sidestepped established safety protocols and industry standards.
heroImageUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/31/Titan_submersible_on_the_ocean_floor.jpg/1280px-Titan_submersible_on_the_ocean_floor.jpg"
heroImageCredit: Wikipedia · "Titan submersible implosion"
importance: 72
sourceConfidence: 75
keyFacts:
- label: Date of implosion
  value: June 18, 2023
- label: Location
  value: North Atlantic, approximately 370 miles southeast of Newfoundland
- label: Fatalities
  value: 5 people
- label: Depth at failure
  value: Approximately 12,500 feet (3,800 meters)
- label: Target depth
  value: 12,500 feet to reach Titanic wreck at 12,500 feet
- label: Company
  value: OceanGate Expeditions
- label: CEO aboard
  value: Stockton Rush
- label: Ticket price
  value: $250,000 per person
timeline:
- date: 2023-06-18
  title: Titan loses contact
  description: The Titan submersible loses contact with support vessel during descent to Titanic wreck. Canadian authorities initiate search and rescue operations.
- date: 2023-06-19
  title: Debris field discovered
  description: Canadian authorities locate debris field consistent with a catastrophic implosion on the ocean floor.
- date: 2023-06-22
  title: Implosion confirmed
  description: "U.S. and Canadian authorities confirm the Titan imploded, killing all five occupants: Stockton Rush, Hamish Harding, Paul-Henry Nargeolet, Shahzada Dawood, and Suleman Dawood."
- date: 2023-06-28
  title: Investigation announced
  description: U.S. National Transportation Safety Board and Canadian Transportation Safety Board announce joint investigation into the implosion.
- date: 2023-12-19
  title: Preliminary report released
  description: Canadian Transportation Safety Board releases preliminary investigation report detailing design flaws, ignored safety warnings, and lack of certification.
sources:
- url: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titan_submersible_implosion"
  title: Titan submersible implosion
  provider: Wikipedia
related: []
impactStatement: The implosion became a defining moment in how the public understood technological risk, corporate accountability, and the limits of unregulated exploration tourism. It prompted regulatory scrutiny of deep-sea submersible operations and broader questions about billionaire-backed ventures operating beyond established safety frameworks.
categories:
- disaster
taxonomy:
domain: technological
eventTypes:
- space_mission
canonicalClasses:
- collapse
- conflict
impactRadius: global
velocity: sudden
predictability: black_swan
intentionality: accidental
domainCoupling: multi_domain
lifecycleClass: death
metaDescription: Titan submersible implodes during Titanic expedition, killing five aboard. OceanGate's safety failures exposed.
wikidataQid: Q119727363
