The OceanGate Titan Submersible
The Titan submersible disaster considers how engineers should respond when an unconventional design has not been validated through established safety practices. In June 2023, the OceanGate submersible imploded during a dive to the wreck of the Titanic, killing all five people aboard. OceanGate used a carbon-fiber pressure hull and chose not to have the vessel certified through the traditional independent classification process used for many crewed submersibles. Former employees and outside specialists had expressed concerns about testing, monitoring, and the repeated stresses placed on the hull. The ethical question is whether customers can meaningfully consent to an experimental risk when the company providing the experience controls most of the relevant technical information. This case also highlights the duties of engineers who believe that a charismatic or powerful leader is dismissing evidence of a potentially catastrophic danger.