Sinking of the RMS Titanic the hull plates. This suggests that the iron rivets along the plate seams snapped off or popped open to create narrow gaps through which water flooded. An engineer from "Titanic"s builders, Harland and Wolff, suggested this scenario at the British Wreck Commissioner's inquiry following the disaster but his view was discounted. "Titanic"s discoverer Robert Ballard has commented that the assumption that the ship had suffered a major breach was "a by-product of the mystique of the "Titanic". No one could believe that the great ship was sunk by a little sliver." Faults in the ship's hull may have been a
Wreck of the RMS Titanic day of the expedition, an object that looked like a propeller was found. Grimm announced on his return to Boston that "Titanic" had been found, but the scientists declined to endorse his identification. In July 1983, Grimm went back a third time with Ryan aboard the research vessel "Robert D. Conrad" to have another look at the "propeller". This time nothing was found and very bad weather brought an early end to the expedition. It later turned out that Sea MARC had actually passed over "Titanic" but had failed to detect it, while Deep Tow passed within of the wreck.