# NTSB Safety Recommendation P-78-011 **Citation:** P-78-011 **Type / status:** guidance / guidance **Agency:** National Transportation Safety Board **Effective:** 1978-02-08 **Published:** 1978-02-08 THE NTSB RECOMMENDS THAT THE MATERIALS TRANSPORTATION BUREAU OF THE U. S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION: INCLUDE IN PROPOSED 49 CFR 195 REGULATIONS, PROVISIONS FOR CHECKING NATURAL GAS PIPELINES THAT ARE BEING CONVERTED TO LIQUEFIED PETROLEUM GAS (LPG) SERVCE FOR STRESS-CORROSION CRACKING. ## Document text NTSB safety recommendation P-78-011. THE NTSB RECOMMENDS THAT THE MATERIALS TRANSPORTATION BUREAU OF THE U. S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION: INCLUDE IN PROPOSED 49 CFR 195 REGULATIONS, PROVISIONS FOR CHECKING NATURAL GAS PIPELINES THAT ARE BEING CONVERTED TO LIQUEFIED PETROLEUM GAS (LPG) SERVCE FOR STRESS-CORROSION CRACKING. Priority: CLASS III Overall Status: Closed - Acceptable Action Issued Date: 1978-02-08 Adopted Date: 1978-01-12 Overall Date Closed: 1985-09-03 Synopsis: ON JULY 20, 1977, A 12-INCH PROPANE PIPELINE, OWNED BY THE CONSOLIDATED GAS SUPPLY CORPORATION, RUPTURED NEAR THE TOWN OF RUFF CREEK, PENNSYLVANIA. THE LIQUID ESCAPED FROM THE PIPELINE, VAPORIZED, AND PROPANE VAPORS SETTLED LIKE A FOG OVER THE BOTTOM OF A VALLEY. TWO MEN IN A PICKUP TRUCK ENTERED THE PROPANE CLOUD; THE TRUCK STALLED AND THE PROPANE GAS IGNITED WHEN AN ATTEMPT WAS MADE TO RESTART THE TRUCK. THE 2 PERSONS IN THE TRUCK WERE KILLED. Ntsbnumber: DCA77MP027 Report Number: PAR-78-01 Addressee Name: RSPA Addressee Status: Closed - Acceptable Action Addressee Date Closed: 1985-09-03 Addressee Acronym: RSPA Addressee Organization Type: G-Federal Government Communication Date: 1978-09-12 Communication Type: Official Correspondence Communication Contents: MTB LTR: THE STUDY OF STRESS CORROSION CRACKING, THE SUBJECT OF RECOMMENDATION P-78-11, WAS INCLUDED IN A RECENT CONTRACT WITH ASL ENGINEERING INCORPORATED. WE ARE CURRENTLY REVIEWING THE FINAL REPORT ENTITLED "ENVIRONMENTALLY INDUCED CRACKING OF NATURAL GAS AND LIQUID PIPELINES." Addressee Acronym: RSPA Addressee Organization Type: G-Federal Government Communication Date: 1983-03-21 Communication Type: Official Correspondence Communication Contents: RSPA LETTER: DOT HAS FULFILLED THIS RECOMMENDATION THROUGH A COMBINATION OF INDEPTH STUDIES, AND BY THE PROMULGATION OF TWO RELATED RULEMKAING ACTIONS WHICH, TOGETHER, ARE DESIGNED TO REDUCE THE LIKELIHOOD OF INCIDENTS INVOLVING STRESS CORROSION CRACKING. MTB PUBLISHED A FINAL RULE, EFFECTIVE OCTOBER 1980, WHICH DISALLOWED ONSHORE INTERSTATE PIPELINE FACILITIES TO TRANSPORT HIGHLY VOLATILE LIQUIDS UNLESS THEY HAD BEEN HYDROSTATICALLY TESTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH SUBPART E OF 49 CFR 195. Addressee Acronym: RSPA Addressee Organization Type: G-Federal Government Communication Date: 1985-09-03 Communication Type: Official Correspondence Addressee Acronym: RSPA Addressee Organization Type: G-Federal Government Communication Date: 1980-06-03 Communication Type: Official Correspondence ## Provenance - Official: Yes - Source: - Source ID: `ntsb-pipeline` - SHA-256: `5ec897b61689ec7d5595a1dc4ddc08772bd88900d20f34438ff0cd8392bde2bb` - Retrieved: 2026-08-20T04:57:24.741Z - Exported: 2026-08-24T07:32:57.587Z - Document slug: `ntsb-recommendation-p-78-011` ### Source metadata ```json { "recordKind": "ntsb_safety_recommendation", "safetyRecommendationNumber": "P-78-011", "recommendationMode": "Pipeline", "topicMode": "Pipeline", "ntsbNumber": "DCA77MP027", "priority": "CLASS III", "overallStatus": "Closed - Acceptable Action", "overallStatusAcronym": "CAA", "overallDateClosed": "1985-09-03", "lastModifiedDate": "2016-11-15", "reportNumber": "PAR-78-01", "reportUrl": "https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/Pages/DCA77MP027.aspx", "transmittalLetterUrl": "http://www.ntsb.gov/safety/safety-recs/recletters/P78_9_11.pdf", "addressees": [ { "addresseeName": "RSPA", "addresseeStatusAcronym": "CAA", "addresseeStatus": "Closed - Acceptable Action", "addresseeDateClosed": "1985-09-03", "addresseeDetails": [ { "addresseeAcronym": "RSPA", "addresseeOrganizationType": "G-Federal Government", "isFromNtsb": false, "communicationDate": "1978-09-12", "communicationType": "Official Correspondence", "communicationContents": "MTB LTR: THE STUDY OF STRESS CORROSION CRACKING, THE SUBJECT OF RECOMMENDATION P-78-11, WAS INCLUDED IN A RECENT CONTRACT WITH ASL ENGINEERING INCORPORATED. WE ARE CURRENTLY REVIEWING THE FINAL REPORT ENTITLED \"ENVIRONMENTALLY INDUCED CRACKING OF NATURAL GAS AND LIQUID PIPELINES.\"" }, { "addresseeAcronym": "RSPA", "addresseeOrganizationType": "G-Federal Government", "isFromNtsb": false, "communicationDate": "1983-03-21", "communicationType": "Official Correspondence", "communicationContents": "RSPA LETTER: DOT HAS FULFILLED THIS RECOMMENDATION THROUGH A COMBINATION OF INDEPTH STUDIES, AND BY THE PROMULGATION OF TWO RELATED RULEMKAING ACTIONS WHICH, TOGETHER, ARE DESIGNED TO REDUCE THE LIKELIHOOD OF INCIDENTS INVOLVING STRESS CORROSION CRACKING. MTB PUBLISHED A FINAL RULE, EFFECTIVE OCTOBER 1980, WHICH DISALLOWED ONSHORE INTERSTATE PIPELINE FACILITIES TO TRANSPORT HIGHLY VOLATILE LIQUIDS UNLESS THEY HAD BEEN HYDROSTATICALLY TESTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH SUBPART E OF 49 CFR 195." }, { "addresseeAcronym": "RSPA", "addresseeOrganizationType": "G-Federal Government", "isFromNtsb": true, "communicationDate": "1985-09-03", "communicationType": "Official Correspondence", "communicationContents": "" }, { "addresseeAcronym": "RSPA", "addresseeOrganizationType": "G-Federal Government", "isFromNtsb": true, "communicationDate": "1980-06-03", "communicationType": "Official Correspondence", "communicationContents": "" } ] } ], "jurisdiction": "US" } ```