# NTSB Safety Recommendation P-78-043

**Citation:** P-78-043  
**Type / status:** guidance / guidance  
**Agency:** National Transportation Safety Board  
**Effective:** 1978-07-31  
**Published:** 1978-07-31

DEVELOP GUIDELINES FOR THE INSTALLATION AND OPERATION OF PIPELINE MONITORING ALARMS ON APPLICABLE SINGLE-FEED SYSTEMS, SUCH AS CHEROKEE, WHICH WILL PROMPTLY ALERT OPERATORS TO EMERGENCY CONDITIONS SUCH AS LINEBREAKS WHICH ARE EVIDENCED BY ABNORMALLY HIGH GAS FLOW RATES OR PRESSURE REDUCTIONS.

## Document text

NTSB safety recommendation P-78-043.

DEVELOP GUIDELINES FOR THE INSTALLATION AND OPERATION OF PIPELINE MONITORING ALARMS ON APPLICABLE SINGLE-FEED SYSTEMS, SUCH AS CHEROKEE, WHICH WILL PROMPTLY ALERT OPERATORS TO EMERGENCY CONDITIONS SUCH AS LINEBREAKS WHICH ARE EVIDENCED BY ABNORMALLY HIGH GAS FLOW RATES OR PRESSURE REDUCTIONS.

Priority: CLASS III

Overall Status: Closed - Acceptable Action

Issued Date: 1978-07-31

Adopted Date: 1978-07-14

Overall Date Closed: 1987-01-12

Synopsis: ON JULY 30, 1977, A LOW-ORDER EXPLOSION FOLLOWED BY FIRE DESTROYED A HOUSE IN CHEROKEE, ALABAMA. ONE PERSON IN THE HOUSE SUFFERED THIRD-DEGREE BURNS, WAS HOSPITALIZED, AND DIED.

Ntsbnumber: DCA77FP028

Report Number: None

Addressee Name: American Society of Mechanical Engineers

Addressee Status: Closed - Acceptable Action

Addressee Date Closed: 1987-01-12

Addressee Acronym: ASME

Addressee Organization Type: A-Associations

Communication Date: 1978-09-06

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: ASME LTR: ASME-GPSC IS REVIEWING THIS RECOMMENDATION.

Addressee Acronym: ASME

Addressee Organization Type: A-Associations

Communication Date: 1986-10-08

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: THE COMMITTEE AGREES THAT THERE IS MERIT TO NTSB'S RECOMMEN DATION P-78-43. IN ESTABLISHING GUIDELINES FOR TELEMETERING AT SINGLE FEED DISTRIBUTION STATIONS, THE COMMITTEE BELIEVES THAT THE GUIDELINES SHOULD BE BASED ON PARAMETERS SUCH AS FEASIBILITY, ECONOMIC PRACTICALITY, PROBABILITY OF PIPELINE FAILURE, PROXIMITY TO OPERATING HEADQUARTERS, RISK ANALYSIS AND SYSTEM SAFETY. THE COMMITTEE HAS REVIEWED THE ABOVE PARAMETERS AND HAS DEVELOPED GUIDE MATERIAL FOR 192.741(B) OF 49 CFR PART 192 FOR THE ASME GUIDE FOR GAS TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION PIPING SYSTEMS (GUIDE). THE GUIDE MATERIAL IS ATTACHED. IT RECEIVED THE FULL ASME APPROVAL NECESSARY FOR PUBLICATION AND HAS BEEN PUBLISHED AS A PART OF ADDENDA 1 TO THE 1986 EDITION OF THE GUIDE.

Addressee Acronym: ASME

Addressee Organization Type: A-Associations

Communication Date: 1987-01-12

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Addressee Acronym: ASME

Addressee Organization Type: A-Associations

Communication Date: 1985-07-29

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

## Provenance

- Official: Yes
- Source: <https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-main-public/sr-details/P-78-043>
- Source ID: `ntsb-pipeline`
- SHA-256: `885695d16eca6a1eb536ab44d2ce072bf095a91f3437736c18010304a27c8929`
- Retrieved: 2026-08-20T04:57:24.741Z
- Exported: 2026-08-22T11:22:30.583Z
- Document slug: `ntsb-recommendation-p-78-043`

### Source metadata

```json
{
  "recordKind": "ntsb_safety_recommendation",
  "safetyRecommendationNumber": "P-78-043",
  "recommendationMode": "Pipeline",
  "topicMode": "Pipeline",
  "ntsbNumber": "DCA77FP028",
  "priority": "CLASS III",
  "overallStatus": "Closed - Acceptable Action",
  "overallStatusAcronym": "CAA",
  "overallDateClosed": "1987-01-12",
  "lastModifiedDate": "2016-11-15",
  "reportNumber": "None",
  "reportUrl": null,
  "transmittalLetterUrl": "http://www.ntsb.gov/safety/safety-recs/recletters/P78_43.pdf",
  "addressees": [
    {
      "addresseeName": "American Society of Mechanical Engineers",
      "addresseeStatusAcronym": "CAA",
      "addresseeStatus": "Closed - Acceptable Action",
      "addresseeDateClosed": "1987-01-12",
      "addresseeDetails": [
        {
          "addresseeAcronym": "ASME",
          "addresseeOrganizationType": "A-Associations",
          "isFromNtsb": false,
          "communicationDate": "1978-09-06",
          "communicationType": "Official Correspondence",
          "communicationContents": "ASME LTR:  ASME-GPSC IS REVIEWING THIS RECOMMENDATION."
        },
        {
          "addresseeAcronym": "ASME",
          "addresseeOrganizationType": "A-Associations",
          "isFromNtsb": false,
          "communicationDate": "1986-10-08",
          "communicationType": "Official Correspondence",
          "communicationContents": "THE COMMITTEE AGREES THAT THERE IS MERIT TO NTSB'S RECOMMEN DATION P-78-43.  IN ESTABLISHING GUIDELINES FOR TELEMETERING AT SINGLE FEED DISTRIBUTION STATIONS, THE COMMITTEE BELIEVES THAT THE GUIDELINES SHOULD BE BASED ON PARAMETERS SUCH AS FEASIBILITY, ECONOMIC PRACTICALITY, PROBABILITY OF PIPELINE FAILURE, PROXIMITY TO OPERATING HEADQUARTERS, RISK ANALYSIS AND SYSTEM SAFETY.  THE COMMITTEE HAS REVIEWED THE ABOVE PARAMETERS AND HAS DEVELOPED GUIDE MATERIAL FOR 192.741(B) OF 49 CFR PART 192 FOR THE ASME GUIDE FOR GAS TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION PIPING SYSTEMS (GUIDE).  THE GUIDE MATERIAL IS ATTACHED.  IT RECEIVED THE FULL ASME APPROVAL NECESSARY FOR PUBLICATION AND HAS BEEN PUBLISHED AS A PART OF ADDENDA 1 TO THE 1986 EDITION OF THE GUIDE."
        },
        {
          "addresseeAcronym": "ASME",
          "addresseeOrganizationType": "A-Associations",
          "isFromNtsb": true,
          "communicationDate": "1987-01-12",
          "communicationType": "Official Correspondence",
          "communicationContents": ""
        },
        {
          "addresseeAcronym": "ASME",
          "addresseeOrganizationType": "A-Associations",
          "isFromNtsb": true,
          "communicationDate": "1985-07-29",
          "communicationType": "Official Correspondence",
          "communicationContents": ""
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "jurisdiction": "US"
}
```