# NTSB Safety Recommendation Letter P-76-087 through P-76-090

**Citation:** P-76-087 through P-76-090  
**Type / status:** guidance / guidance  
**Agency:** National Transportation Safety Board  
**Effective:** 1977-01-31  
**Published:** 1977-01-31

Official NTSB transmittal letter for safety recommendations P-76-087 through P-76-090, issued 1977-01-31.

## Document text

Page 1
WASHINGTON, D.C. FOR RELEASE: 6:30 P,M,, E , s , T , , JANUARY 31, 1977 (202) 426-8787 I S S U E D : J a n u a r y 31, 1977 President Standard O i l Company of California Western Operations, Inc. 225 Bush S t r e e t San Francisco, California 94104 SAFETY RECOMMENDATION(S) P-76-87 through 90 A t l0:32 a.m., P . d . t . , on June 1 6 , 1976, a piece of construction equipment excavating f o r a s t r e e t widening project on Venice Boulevard i n Los Angeles, California, struck and punctured an 8-inch petroleum products pipeline owned by the Standard O i l Company of California. The escaping gasoline sprayed on nearby buildings and ignited 90 seconds l a t e r . A s a r e s u l t of t h i s accident 9 persons were k i l l e d , 14 persons w e r e injured, 7 buildings were destroyed, other buildings were damaged by f i r e and heat, and 15 vehicles were destroyed. The intense f i r e melted powerlines and t e l e - phone l i n e s . - 1/ The Califbrnia Department of Transportation, designers and originators of t h e construction project; the G r i f f i t h Company, the prime contractor f o r the project; C . W. Poss, Lnc., the sub- contractor; and the Standard O i l Company of California were a l l aware of the existence of the 8-inch pipeline. However, the precise depth of the pipeline within the accident area was not known, although preconstruction meetings had been held, testholes t o determine the pipeline depth had been dug a t other locations, and the pipeline i n another area had been lowered because of i t s i n s u f f i c i e n t depth. No "one-call" n o t i f i c a t i o n system was i n e f f e c t i n the Las Angeles area a t the t i m e of the accident which would have enabled the contractor t o request and receive s p e c i f i c informa- tion concerning the depth and location of buried u t i l i t i e s . - 1/ For more d e t a i l e d information on t h i s accident, read "Standard O i l Company of California, 8-Inch Pipeline Rupture, Venice Boulevard, L o s Angeles, California, June 16, 1976." NTSB-PAR-76-8 I 1939

Page 2
P-76-87 through 90 Therefore, the National Transportation Safety Board recommends that the Standard O i l Company of California: Submit precise, accurate data concerning the depth and location of i t s pipelines for a l l future con- struction projects. (Class 11, P r i o r i t y Followup) (P-76-87) Conduct inspections of operations along i t s pipe- l i n e s t o insure t h a t construction does not r i s k the i n t e g r i t of i t s pipelines. (Class 11, P r i o r i t y F o 11 owup7 ( P - 7 6 - 8 8 ) Insure adequate communications with contractors and other p a r t i e s through written substantiated means during excavation work, including more testhole v e r i f i c a t i o n f o r the depth and location of its pipe- lines. (Class 11, P r i o r i t y Followup)(P-76-89) Join any "one-call" systems i n areas where i t s pipe- l i n e s operate and help t o organize systems where they do not e x i s t . (Class 11, P r i o r i t y Followup)(P-76-90) TODD, Chairman, BAILEY, Vice Chairman, HOGUE and HALEY, Members, concurred i n the above recommendations. McADAMS, Member, did not p a r t i c i p a t e . By: Chairman THIS RECOMMENDATION WILL BE RELEASED TO THE PUBLIC ON DATE SHOWN ABOVE. NO PUBLIC DISSEMINATION OF THIS DOCUNEN SHOULD BE MADE PRIOR TO THAT DATE.

## Provenance

- Official: Yes
- Source: <https://www.ntsb.gov/safety/safety-recs/recletters/P76_87_90.pdf>
- Source ID: `ntsb-transmittal-letters`
- SHA-256: `343b69f8d57a22c6b7e074a093bc3a44d58618c06c5a351c0b545d8a14260926`
- Retrieved: 2026-08-20T04:55:47.446Z
- Exported: 2026-08-26T13:58:15.533Z
- Document slug: `ntsb-transmittal-letter-p76-87-90`

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  "caveat": "An NTSB safety recommendation is advisory and does not itself create a binding regulatory requirement.",
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