# NTSB Safety Recommendation P-84-016

**Citation:** P-84-016  
**Type / status:** guidance / guidance  
**Agency:** National Transportation Safety Board  
**Effective:** 1984-06-15  
**Published:** 1984-06-15

THE NTSB RECOMMENDS THAT THE GAS RESEARCH INSTITUTE: SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF NONDESTRUCTIVE TESTING EQUIPMENT WHICH CAN BE USED PRACTICALLY FOR PLASTIC PIPE FUSIONS IN THE FIELD.

## Document text

NTSB safety recommendation P-84-016.

THE NTSB RECOMMENDS THAT THE GAS RESEARCH INSTITUTE: SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF NONDESTRUCTIVE TESTING EQUIPMENT WHICH CAN BE USED PRACTICALLY FOR PLASTIC PIPE FUSIONS IN THE FIELD.

Priority: CLASS II

Overall Status: Closed - Acceptable Action

Issued Date: 1984-06-15

Adopted Date: 1984-05-17

Overall Date Closed: 1995-06-02

Synopsis: ON JULY 12, 1983, NATURAL GAS ESCAPING UNDER 60 POUNDS PRESSURE FROM A CRACK IN A BUTT FUSION JOINT IN A 2-INCH PLASTIC GAS MAIN ENTERED AN APARTMENT BUILDING IN CLEAR LAKE, IOWA, EXPLODED, AN THEN BURNED. TWO INTERSTATE POWER COMPANY EMPLOYEES WERE INJURED, ONE APARTMENT BUILDING WAS DESTROYED, AND THE ADJACENT APARTMENT BUILDING WAS DAMAGED HEAVILY. DAMAGE WAS ESTIMATED AT MORE THAN $1 MILLION; NONE OF THE RESIDENTS WERE INJURED OR KILLED.

Probable Cause: None

Ntsbnumber: DCA83MP022

Report Number: PAR-84-02

Addressee Name: Gas Research Institute

Addressee Status: Closed - Acceptable Action

Addressee Date Closed: 1995-06-02

Addressee Acronym: GRI

Addressee Organization Type: A-Associations

Communication Date: 1984-06-29

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: GRI LETTER: GRI HAS HAD UNDER WAY SINCE 1981 THE DEVELOPMENT OF NONDESTRUCTIVE QUALITY ASSURANCE INSTRUMENTS FOR THE FIELD EVALUATION OF BUTT-FUSED POLYETHYLENE GAS DISTRIBUTION PIPING JOINTS. TWO ALTERNATIVE ULTRASONIC DEVICES ARE CURRENTLY UNDER DEVELOPMENT AND TESTING (SEE ATTACHMENT B). ONE OF THE DEVICES HAS ALREADY SUCCESSFULLY DETECTED THE FOLLOWING INDUCED FLAWS IN LABORATORY EXPERIMENTS: VOIDS, INCLUSIONS, INCOMPLETE FUSION, AND LACK OF BOND. IT IS CURRENTLY UNDERGOING FABRICATION FOR FIELD EXPERIMENTS. THE SECOND DEVICE, NOW UNDERGOING DEVELOPMENT PRIOR TO LABORA TORY TESTING, IS DESIGNED TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THE TYPE AND SEVERITY OF THE FLAW. IF A SUITABLE MANUFACTURER CAN BE IDENTIFIED AND BROUGHT INTO THE PROGRAM, TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER OF THE MOST EFFECTIVE DEVICE TO INDUSTRY IS PLANNED FOR THE FALL OF 1986.

Addressee Acronym: GRI

Addressee Organization Type: A-Associations

Communication Date: 1995-04-10

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Addressee Acronym: GRI

Addressee Organization Type: A-Associations

Communication Date: 1984-09-17

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Addressee Acronym: GRI

Addressee Organization Type: A-Associations

Communication Date: 1995-06-02

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

## Provenance

- Official: Yes
- Source: <https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-main-public/sr-details/P-84-016>
- Source ID: `ntsb-pipeline`
- SHA-256: `9a86508716f667e43d74a345c99053ec12707a60d3ea23fee607ed5d5a155f3b`
- Retrieved: 2026-08-20T04:57:24.741Z
- Exported: 2026-08-24T14:07:06.948Z
- Document slug: `ntsb-recommendation-p-84-016`

### Source metadata

```json
{
  "recordKind": "ntsb_safety_recommendation",
  "safetyRecommendationNumber": "P-84-016",
  "recommendationMode": "Pipeline",
  "topicMode": "Pipeline",
  "ntsbNumber": "DCA83MP022",
  "priority": "CLASS II",
  "overallStatus": "Closed - Acceptable Action",
  "overallStatusAcronym": "CAA",
  "overallDateClosed": "1995-06-02",
  "lastModifiedDate": "2016-11-15",
  "reportNumber": "PAR-84-02",
  "reportUrl": "https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/Pages/DCA83MP022.aspx",
  "transmittalLetterUrl": "http://www.ntsb.gov/safety/safety-recs/recletters/P84_15_16.pdf",
  "addressees": [
    {
      "addresseeName": "Gas Research Institute",
      "addresseeStatusAcronym": "CAA",
      "addresseeStatus": "Closed - Acceptable Action",
      "addresseeDateClosed": "1995-06-02",
      "addresseeDetails": [
        {
          "addresseeAcronym": "GRI",
          "addresseeOrganizationType": "A-Associations",
          "isFromNtsb": false,
          "communicationDate": "1984-06-29",
          "communicationType": "Official Correspondence",
          "communicationContents": "GRI LETTER:  GRI HAS HAD UNDER WAY SINCE 1981 THE DEVELOPMENT OF NONDESTRUCTIVE QUALITY ASSURANCE INSTRUMENTS FOR THE FIELD EVALUATION OF BUTT-FUSED POLYETHYLENE GAS DISTRIBUTION PIPING JOINTS.  TWO ALTERNATIVE ULTRASONIC DEVICES ARE CURRENTLY UNDER DEVELOPMENT AND TESTING (SEE ATTACHMENT B). ONE OF THE DEVICES HAS ALREADY SUCCESSFULLY DETECTED THE FOLLOWING INDUCED FLAWS IN LABORATORY EXPERIMENTS:  VOIDS, INCLUSIONS, INCOMPLETE FUSION, AND LACK OF BOND.  IT IS CURRENTLY UNDERGOING FABRICATION FOR FIELD EXPERIMENTS.  THE SECOND DEVICE, NOW UNDERGOING DEVELOPMENT PRIOR TO LABORA TORY TESTING, IS DESIGNED TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THE TYPE AND SEVERITY OF THE FLAW.  IF A SUITABLE MANUFACTURER CAN BE IDENTIFIED AND BROUGHT INTO THE PROGRAM, TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER OF THE MOST EFFECTIVE DEVICE TO INDUSTRY IS PLANNED FOR THE FALL OF 1986."
        },
        {
          "addresseeAcronym": "GRI",
          "addresseeOrganizationType": "A-Associations",
          "isFromNtsb": false,
          "communicationDate": "1995-04-10",
          "communicationType": "Official Correspondence",
          "communicationContents": ""
        },
        {
          "addresseeAcronym": "GRI",
          "addresseeOrganizationType": "A-Associations",
          "isFromNtsb": true,
          "communicationDate": "1984-09-17",
          "communicationType": "Official Correspondence",
          "communicationContents": ""
        },
        {
          "addresseeAcronym": "GRI",
          "addresseeOrganizationType": "A-Associations",
          "isFromNtsb": true,
          "communicationDate": "1995-06-02",
          "communicationType": "Official Correspondence",
          "communicationContents": ""
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "jurisdiction": "US"
}
```