This story has been updated to correct from which vessel the voyage data recorder came.
The National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the implosion that killed five people death aboard the Titan submersible as part of the Coast Guard’s Maritime Board of Investigation.
The U.S. Coast Guard, which served as the lead agency on the recovery efforts for Titan, opened a Maritime Board of Investigation June 25 to look into Titan’s last dive, which ended in the death of the five passengers aboard, including OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush.
As part of the NTSB’s investigation, it will determine probable cause and any applicable safety recommendations, according to a news release from the agency. The report is expected in the next year or two.
An NTSB investigator was in St. Johns, Newfoundland, Canada, as part of the investigation. Members of the Coast Guard, as well as the Transportation Safety Board of Canada, also sent representatives as part of their investigations.
“We appreciate the dedication and hard work of all involved in the recovery operations of the Titan and for their efforts recovering evidence critical to the investigation,” NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said in the release. “We look forward to working with our safety partners during the investigation. The NTSB’s mission is to determine how this tragedy occurred and issue safety recommendations to prevent a similar loss in the future.”
The remains of the Titan submersible arrived in St. Johns on Wednesday, along with potential human remains, which will be analyzed by medical professionals, USNI News previously reported. The Canadian TSB also inspected Titan.
The Coast Guard will continue to collect evidence, including from witnesses, the service previously said. The Canadian Transportation Safety Board has the voyage data recorder from Polar Prince, the ship which launched Titan, according to a Wednesday news release.
The Canadian agency completed preliminary interviews and collected documents. It will spend the next few weeks reviewing the information.
In addition to the United States and Canada, France and the United Kingdom are also assisting with the investigations.
