What happened to the Titan submersible? Timeline of doomed trip to Titanic.
A new report from the U.S. Coast Guard details what happened before the Titan submersible imploded during a 2023 dive to the Titanic's wreckage.
- The Titan submersible lost communication with its support ship, the Polar Prince, and imploded on June 18, 2023.
- A U.S. Coast Guard report released in August 2025 deemed the tragedy "preventable".
A five-person crew bound for the wreckage of the Titanic died in a June 18, 2023, disaster that launched a frantic search for survivors and answers.
It took days for authorities to find that the Titan submersible had imploded and left no survivors. Two years later, a 335-page report released by the U.S. Coast Guard on Aug. 5 would shed light on the moments leading up to a "preventable" tragedy.
The report documents the path of the Titan, a 22-foot-long submersible made of carbon fiber, from the shores of Canada to the depths of the North Atlantic, where it lost communication with its support ship, the Polar Prince, and imploded on June 18, 2023.
Crew members in the chart room of the Polar Prince heard a "bang" seconds after the implosion, according to the report, a moment that was captured on video released in May.
Here's what to know about the Titan's final moments.
Timeline of the Titan submersible implosion:
The expedition began on June 16, with the Polar Prince setting sail from Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Two days later, the Polar Prince arrived at the vicinity of the Titanic wreckage in the North Atlantic and the submersible was launched.
- 8:30 a.m.: The five participants boarded the submersible and were sealed into the vessel.
- 9:14 a.m.: The Titan dive began, and the submersible started its free fall down through the water to reach the Titanic wreckage. Usually, during dives, the Titan would have maneuvered near the ocean's surface for a "communications check," but failed to do so on its final descent, the report said.
- 9:28 a.m.: Using abbreviated text messages to communicate, the Titan crew confirmed the vessel was descending at a rate of 33 meters per minute.
- 9:53 a.m.: Communication was lost between the Titan and the Polar Prince for about 15 minutes, prompting the research ship to send this message repeatedly: “Do you see Polar Prince on your display?”
- 10:08 a.m.: The Titan sent the message "k" back to the Polar Prince, reestablishing communication. The vessel continued sending messages about its position.
- 10:47:02 a.m.: The Titan sent a message that it "dropped two wts," indicating it dropped ballast weights to slow its descent.
- 10:47:08 a.m.: The Titan sent an automated transmission recording its final location, at a depth of 3,346.28 meters.
- 10:47:09 a.m.: The Titan imploded, and all on board were killed immediately. "Two seconds later, the TITAN Communications and Tracking Team on the POLAR PRINCE heard a "bang" emanating from the ocean’s surface, which the investigation later correlated to the TITAN’s implosion. After that, all communications and tracking with the TITAN were lost," the report said.
- 7:10 p.m.: After conducting mission protocols to try to regain communication with the Titan unsuccessfully, the Polar Prince alerted the Canadian Coast Guard that the Titan was in distress. The Canadian Coast Guard directed the crew to alert the U.S. Coast Guard.
On June 22, 2023, at approximately 9:40 a.m., the aft tail cone and other debris from the Titan were discovered on the seafloor after an extensive search. "This discovery provided conclusive evidence of the catastrophic loss of the TITAN and the death of the five individuals aboard," the report said.