# NTSB Safety Recommendation P-76-048

**Citation:** P-76-048  
**Type / status:** guidance / guidance  
**Agency:** National Transportation Safety Board  
**Effective:** 1976-09-15  
**Published:** 1976-09-15

USE MANUFACTURER'S PROPRIETARY TRANSITION FITTINGS, INSTALLED IN ACCORDANCE WITH WRITTEN PROCEDURES, OR USE PIPE-TO-CASING ANCHORS TO LIMIT CONTRACTION OF PLASTIC PIPE, UNTIL A COMPRESSION COUPLING IS VERIFIED BY TESTS TO BE AS STRONG AS THE PLASTIC PIPE BEING JOINED.

## Document text

NTSB safety recommendation P-76-048.

USE MANUFACTURER'S PROPRIETARY TRANSITION FITTINGS, INSTALLED IN ACCORDANCE WITH WRITTEN PROCEDURES, OR USE PIPE-TO-CASING ANCHORS TO LIMIT CONTRACTION OF PLASTIC PIPE, UNTIL A COMPRESSION COUPLING IS VERIFIED BY TESTS TO BE AS STRONG AS THE PLASTIC PIPE BEING JOINED.

Priority: CLASS II

Overall Status: Closed - Acceptable Action

Issued Date: 1976-09-15

Adopted Date: 1976-07-07

Overall Date Closed: 1980-05-22

Synopsis: ON JANUARY 10, 1976, GAS WHICH WAS LEAKING INTO THE PATHFINDER HOTEL, IN FREMONT, NEBRASKA, IGNITED. THE GAS WAS LEAKING FROM A 2-INCH PLASTIC PIPE WHICH HAD PULLED OUT OF ITS COMPRESSION COUPLING; THE GAS SEEPED INTO THE HOTEL BECAUSE IT HAD BEEN CAPPED ABOVE BY FROZEN EARTH AND A CONCRETE ROAD SURFACE. THE HOTEL EXPLODED AND FIRE ENSUED; THE EXPLOSION AND FIRE DESTROYED THE HOTEL, DAMAGED NEARBY BUILDINGS, AND BROKE WINDOWS WITHIN A ONE-BLOCK RADIUS. THIRTY-NINE PERSONS WERE INJURED AND 20 PERSONS WERE KILLED.

Ntsbnumber: DCA76MP013

Report Number: PAR-76-06

Addressee Name: Nebraska Natural Gas Company

Addressee Status: Closed--No Longer Applicable

Addressee Date Closed: 1980-05-22

Addressee Organization Type: P-Private Industry

Communication Date: 1978-05-22

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: NEBRASKA NATURAL GAS COMPANY LTR: WE PRESENTLY FOLLOW A POLICY THAT WAS ESTABLISHED WITHIN A FEW DAYS FOLLOWING THE ACCIDENT OF CONNECTING PLASTIC DISTRIBUTION MAINS AND SERVICES TO STEEL IN THE FOLLOWING MANNER. WE FUSE A TRANSITION (PLASTIC TO STEEL) FITTING TO THE PLASTIC PIPE. WE THEN WELD THE STEEL TO STEEL OR CONNECT THE STEEL TO STEEL WITH A COMPRESSION COUPLING. IF A COMPRESSION COUPLING IS USED, WE, IN ALL APPLICATIONS, SPOT WELD, ELECTRICALLY, A 3/4" STEEL STRAP FROM THE EXISTING STEEL MAIN TO THE STEEL PORTION OF THE TRANSITION FITTING, THUS PROVIDING A POSITIVE ANCHOR TO ELIMINATE EVERY LIKELIHOOD OF A JOINT SEPARATION. THE JOINT IS CATHODICALLY BONDED AND WRAPPED TO INSURE ITS LONGEVITY. WE HAVE CHECKED 99 PERCENT OF THE CONNECTIONS IN OUR SYSTEM COMPANY-WIDE ON PIPE SIZES ABOVE 1" TO INSURE THAT NO FURTHER PULLOUTS OCCUR.

Addressee Organization Type: P-Private Industry

Communication Date: 1980-05-22

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

## Provenance

- Official: Yes
- Source: <https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-main-public/sr-details/P-76-048>
- Source ID: `ntsb-pipeline`
- SHA-256: `db26a7571241f944436f036f0b2a4af0a7423cf2905be3d0ddced346fbf89752`
- Retrieved: 2026-08-20T04:57:24.741Z
- Exported: 2026-08-25T11:43:43.949Z
- Document slug: `ntsb-recommendation-p-76-048`

### Source metadata

```json
{
  "recordKind": "ntsb_safety_recommendation",
  "safetyRecommendationNumber": "P-76-048",
  "recommendationMode": "Pipeline",
  "topicMode": "Pipeline",
  "ntsbNumber": "DCA76MP013",
  "priority": "CLASS II",
  "overallStatus": "Closed - Acceptable Action",
  "overallStatusAcronym": "CAA",
  "overallDateClosed": "1980-05-22",
  "lastModifiedDate": "2016-11-15",
  "reportNumber": "PAR-76-06",
  "reportUrl": "https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/Pages/DCA76MP013.aspx",
  "transmittalLetterUrl": "http://www.ntsb.gov/safety/safety-recs/recletters/P76_48_55.pdf",
  "addressees": [
    {
      "addresseeName": "Nebraska Natural Gas Company",
      "addresseeStatusAcronym": "CNLA",
      "addresseeStatus": "Closed--No Longer Applicable",
      "addresseeDateClosed": "1980-05-22",
      "addresseeDetails": [
        {
          "addresseeAcronym": null,
          "addresseeOrganizationType": "P-Private Industry",
          "isFromNtsb": false,
          "communicationDate": "1978-05-22",
          "communicationType": "Official Correspondence",
          "communicationContents": "NEBRASKA NATURAL GAS COMPANY LTR:  WE PRESENTLY FOLLOW A POLICY THAT WAS ESTABLISHED WITHIN A FEW DAYS FOLLOWING THE ACCIDENT OF CONNECTING PLASTIC DISTRIBUTION MAINS AND SERVICES TO STEEL IN THE FOLLOWING MANNER.  WE FUSE A TRANSITION (PLASTIC TO STEEL) FITTING TO THE PLASTIC PIPE. WE THEN WELD THE STEEL TO STEEL OR CONNECT THE STEEL TO STEEL WITH A COMPRESSION COUPLING.  IF A COMPRESSION COUPLING IS USED, WE, IN ALL APPLICATIONS, SPOT WELD, ELECTRICALLY, A 3/4\" STEEL STRAP FROM THE EXISTING STEEL MAIN TO THE STEEL PORTION OF THE TRANSITION FITTING, THUS PROVIDING A POSITIVE ANCHOR TO ELIMINATE EVERY LIKELIHOOD OF A JOINT SEPARATION.  THE JOINT IS CATHODICALLY BONDED AND WRAPPED TO INSURE ITS LONGEVITY.  WE HAVE CHECKED 99 PERCENT OF THE CONNECTIONS IN OUR SYSTEM COMPANY-WIDE ON PIPE SIZES ABOVE 1\" TO INSURE THAT NO FURTHER PULLOUTS OCCUR."
        },
        {
          "addresseeAcronym": null,
          "addresseeOrganizationType": "P-Private Industry",
          "isFromNtsb": true,
          "communicationDate": "1980-05-22",
          "communicationType": "Official Correspondence",
          "communicationContents": ""
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "jurisdiction": "US"
}
```