# NTSB Safety Recommendation P-99-004 **Citation:** P-99-004 **Type / status:** guidance / guidance **Agency:** National Transportation Safety Board **Effective:** 1999-04-28 **Published:** 1999-04-28 THE NTSB RECOMMENDS THAT THE AMERICAN PUBLIC GAS ASSOCIATION: INFORM YOUR MEMBERS OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE 7/21/97, PIPELINE RUPTURE AND FIRE IN INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, AND URGE THEM TO INCLUDE IN THEIR DAMAGE PREVENTION PROGRAMS ACTIONS TO PROTECT THEIR EXISTING UNDERGROUND FACILITIES FROM DAMAGE WHEN DIRECTIONAL DRILLING OPERATIONS ARE PERFORMED IN PROXIMITY TO THOSE FACILITIES. ## Document text NTSB safety recommendation P-99-004. THE NTSB RECOMMENDS THAT THE AMERICAN PUBLIC GAS ASSOCIATION: INFORM YOUR MEMBERS OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE 7/21/97, PIPELINE RUPTURE AND FIRE IN INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, AND URGE THEM TO INCLUDE IN THEIR DAMAGE PREVENTION PROGRAMS ACTIONS TO PROTECT THEIR EXISTING UNDERGROUND FACILITIES FROM DAMAGE WHEN DIRECTIONAL DRILLING OPERATIONS ARE PERFORMED IN PROXIMITY TO THOSE FACILITIES. Priority: CLASS II Overall Status: Closed - Unacceptable Action - No Response Received Issued Date: 1999-04-28 Adopted Date: 1999-04-20 Overall Date Closed: 2002-01-03 Synopsis: ABOUT 2:33 P.M. ON 7/21/97, A 20-INCH-DIAMETER STEEL NATURAL GAS TRANSMISSION PIPELINE OWNED AND OPERATED BY CITIZENS GAS & COKE UTILITY COMPANY ( CITIZENS GAS) RUPTURED AND RELEASED NATURAL GAS NEAR AN INTERSECTION ADJOINING THE CHARTER POINTE SUBDIVISION IN INDIANAPOLIS, IN. THE GAS IGNITED AND BURNED, KILLING ONE RESIDENT AND INJURING ANOTHER. ABOUT 75 RESIDENTS REQUIRED TEMPORARY SHELTER. SIX HOMES WERE DESTROYED, AND ABOUT 65 OTHERS SUSTAINED DAMAGE SIGNIFICANT ENOUGH TO BE DOCUMENTED BY THE LOCAL INVESTIGATION TEAM. Probable Cause: The National Transportation Safety Board determined that the probable cause of this accident was the failure of Citizens Gas and Miller to have adequate controls in place to ensure that directional drilling operations carried out in the proximity of existing underground facilities would not cause damage to those facilities. Ntsbnumber: DCA97FP005 Report Number: PAB-99-02 Addressee Name: American Public Gas Association Addressee Status: Closed - Unacceptable Action - No Response Received Addressee Date Closed: 2002-01-03 Addressee Acronym: APGA Addressee Organization Type: A-Associations Communication Date: 2002-01-03 Communication Type: Official Correspondence Communication Contents: The Safety Board has not received a response from the APGA on action taken to implement Safety Recommendations P-95-33, P-99-4, and P-00-17 and -18, despite our request for such information in our April 16, 2001 letter. Accordingly, Safety Recommendations P-95-33, P-99-4, and P-00-17 and -18 are classified "Closed--Unacceptable Action/No Response Received." If the APGA has completed action in response to these recommendations, the Safety Board will evaluate that action and may reconsider the classification of these recommendations. Addressee Acronym: APGA Addressee Organization Type: A-Associations Communication Date: 2000-06-29 Communication Type: Official Correspondence Communication Contents: TO DATE THERE HAS BEEN NO RESPONSE FROM APGA ON ACTION TAKEN TO IMPLEMENT P-99-4. THE SAFETY BOARD WOULD APPRECIATE LEARNING OF ANY ACTIONS TAKEN OR PLANNED TO COMPLY WITH THESE RECOMMENDATIONS. Addressee Acronym: APGA Addressee Organization Type: A-Associations Communication Date: 2001-04-16 Communication Type: Official Correspondence Communication Contents: TO DATE, THERE HAS BEEN NO RESPONSE FROM APGA ON ACTION TAKEN TO IMPLEMENT P-99-4. ## Provenance - Official: Yes - Source: - Source ID: `ntsb-pipeline` - SHA-256: `203af45644e097ae05d3eaa8eb4c54f4e4cc4020c3ce1067e628a704c2276452` - Retrieved: 2026-08-20T04:57:24.741Z - Exported: 2026-08-22T01:39:06.597Z - Document slug: `ntsb-recommendation-p-99-004` ### Source metadata ```json { "recordKind": "ntsb_safety_recommendation", "safetyRecommendationNumber": "P-99-004", "recommendationMode": "Pipeline", "topicMode": "Pipeline", "ntsbNumber": "DCA97FP005", "priority": "CLASS II", "overallStatus": "Closed - Unacceptable Action - No Response Received", "overallStatusAcronym": "CUAN", "overallDateClosed": "2002-01-03", "lastModifiedDate": "2016-11-15", "reportNumber": "PAB-99-02", "reportUrl": "https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/Pages/DCA97FP005.aspx", "transmittalLetterUrl": "http://www.ntsb.gov/safety/safety-recs/recletters/P99_4.pdf", "addressees": [ { "addresseeName": "American Public Gas Association", "addresseeStatusAcronym": "CUAN", "addresseeStatus": "Closed - Unacceptable Action - No Response Received", "addresseeDateClosed": "2002-01-03", "addresseeDetails": [ { "addresseeAcronym": "APGA", "addresseeOrganizationType": "A-Associations", "isFromNtsb": true, "communicationDate": "2002-01-03", "communicationType": "Official Correspondence", "communicationContents": "The Safety Board has not received a response from the APGA on action taken to implement Safety Recommendations P-95-33, P-99-4, and P-00-17 and -18, despite our request for such information in our April 16, 2001 letter. Accordingly, Safety Recommendations P-95-33, P-99-4, and P-00-17 and -18 are classified \"Closed--Unacceptable Action/No Response Received.\" If the APGA has completed action in response to these recommendations, the Safety Board will evaluate that action and may reconsider the classification of these recommendations." }, { "addresseeAcronym": "APGA", "addresseeOrganizationType": "A-Associations", "isFromNtsb": true, "communicationDate": "2000-06-29", "communicationType": "Official Correspondence", "communicationContents": "TO DATE THERE HAS BEEN NO RESPONSE FROM APGA ON ACTION TAKEN TO IMPLEMENT P-99-4. THE SAFETY BOARD WOULD APPRECIATE LEARNING OF ANY ACTIONS TAKEN OR PLANNED TO COMPLY WITH THESE RECOMMENDATIONS." }, { "addresseeAcronym": "APGA", "addresseeOrganizationType": "A-Associations", "isFromNtsb": true, "communicationDate": "2001-04-16", "communicationType": "Official Correspondence", "communicationContents": "TO DATE, THERE HAS BEEN NO RESPONSE FROM APGA ON ACTION TAKEN TO IMPLEMENT P-99-4." } ] } ], "jurisdiction": "US" } ```