# PUBLIC SERVICE OF NORTH CAROLINA, INCORPORATED (DBA PSNC ENERGY) — Gas distribution — incident on 2005-10-24 **Citation:** PHMSA Report 20050166 **Type / status:** incident / historical **Agency:** Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration **Effective:** 2005-10-24 **Published:** 2005-10-24 Gas distribution incident in CHINA GROVE, ROWAN COUNTY County, NC. Reported cause: 9. Reported consequences: 0 fatalities, 0 injuries, $101,717 reported property damage. Operator-reported incident data submitted to PHMSA, generally within 30 days. Records may be supplemented or corrected and do not represent final agency causal findings. PHMSA trend classification: significant incident, not serious, not fire-first. ## Document text Gas distribution incident in CHINA GROVE, ROWAN COUNTY County, NC. Reported cause: 9. Reported consequences: 0 fatalities, 0 injuries, $101,717 reported property damage. Operator-reported incident data submitted to PHMSA, generally within 30 days. Records may be supplemented or corrected and do not represent final agency causal findings. Report number: 20050166. Operator ID: 15938. Reported incident date: 10/24/2005. Cause detail: THIRD PARTY EXCAVATION DAMAGE Cause detail: GAS SERVICE WAS DAMAGED BY CONTRACTOR RECLAIMING THE ROAD. SEE ATTACHED REPORT. 11/09/2005 FINAL REPORT: NORTH FRANKLIN STREET, CHINA GROVE NORTH CAROLINA TIME LINE OF EVENTS MONDAY, OCTOBER 24,2005 1:26 P.M. PROPST CONSTRUCTION COMPANY HIT AND SEVERED A 3/4" PLASTIC NATURAL GAS SERVICE IN THE CENTER OF NORTH FRANKLIN STREET APPROXIMATELY 72 FEET NORTH OF THE CENTER LINE OF SWINK STREET. THE 3/4" PLASTIC SERVICE FED NATURAL GAS TO THE RESIDENTS AT 204 NORTH FRANKLIN STREET. THE UNCONTROLLED ESCAPE OF NATURAL GAS IGNITED IMMEDIATELY AND THE RECLAIMER MACHINE THAT SEVERED THE NATURAL GAS LINE STARTED BURNING. 1:27 P.M. THE CHINA GROVE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS ALARMED TO RESPOND TO FIRE AT THE INTERSECTION OF SWINK STREET AND NORTH FRANKLIN STREET. 1:30 P.M. THE CHINA GROVE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED ON THE SCENE AND STARTED TO FIGHT THE FIRE. 1:45 P.M. THE EMPLOYEE OPERATING THE RECLAIMER MACHINE FOR PROPST CONSTRUCTION COMPANY INFORMED THE CHINA GROVE FIRE CHIEF THAT HE THOUGHT HE MAY HAVE HIT A NATURAL GAS LINE AND THAT MAY BE THE REASON THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS HAVING A HARD TIME PUTTING OUT THE FIRE. 1:46 P.M. THE CHINA GROVE FIRE DEPARTMENT EVACUATED FOUR HOMES IN THE 200 BLOCK OF NORTH FRANKLIN STREET. 1:47 P.M. PSNC EMPLOYEE DALE BROCK HEARD OVER A SCANNER THAT THERE WAS A GAS FIRE ON NORTH FRANKLIN STREET IN CHINA GROVE. DALE CALLED THE CONCORD OPERATION CENTER AND INFORMED AN OPERATIONS ASSISTANT THAT HE WAS ON HIS WAY TO THE FIRE. 1:54 P.M. DAVID WITH THE CITY OF CHINA GROVE NOTIFIED THE CALL CENTER THAT A MILLING MACHINE HIT A NATURAL GAS LINE AND IT WAS ON FIRE. DAVID WAS NOT SURE IF GAS WAS BLOWING BUT THE FIRE DEPARTMENTS FROM KANNAPOLIS AND LANDIS WERE ALSO BEING DISPATCHED TO HELP. 1:58 P.M. PSNC EMPLOYEE DALE BROCK ARRIVED ON THE SCENE AND INFORMED THE OPERATIONS CENTER AS TO THE CURRENT STATUS OF EVENTS ON NORTH FRANKLIN STREET. 2:00 P.M. THE CONSTRUCTION SUPERVISOR WAS INFORMED OF THE INCIDENT. A LOCATOR/FIRST RESPONDER AND TWO CONSTRUCTION CREWS WERE DISPATCHED TO THE SCENE. A THIRD CONSTRUCTION CREW WAS DISPATCHED TO THE OPERATIONS CENTER AND PUT ON STAND-BY TO BRING ANY EQUIPMENT OR MATERIALS NEEDED TO ASSIST IN THE INCIDENT. 2:25 P.M. THE LOCATOR/FIRST RESPONDER AND ONE OF THE CONSTRUCTION CREWS ARRIVED ON THE SCENE AND BEGAN ACCESSING THE SITUATION. THREE FIRE TRUCKS WERE SPRAYING WATER ON THE BURNING RECLAIMER MACHINE IN ORDER TO KEEP IT COOL WHILE THE NATURAL GAS RUPTURE WAS STILL BURNING. 2:40 P.M. THE CONSTRUCTION SUPERVISOR AND THE SECOND CONSTRUCTION CREW ARRIVED ON THE SCENE. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE FLOW OF NATURAL GAS COULD BE STOPPED BY EXCAVATING WITH SHOVELS THE TAP-N-TEE ON THE MAIN AND SQUEEZING OFF THE PLASTIC 3/4" SERVICE LINE. 2:50 P.M. THE 3/4" PLASTIC SERVICE WAS SQUEEZED OFF PREVENTING THE UNCONTROLLED ESCAPE OF NATURAL GAS. 2:54 P.M. THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED AND THE SCENE WAS DECLARED SAFE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ALLOWED THE FOUR EVACUATED HOMES TO BE RE-ENTERED. 3:10 P.M. THE REPLACEMENT OF THE DAMAGED 3/4" PLASTIC SERVICE BEGAN. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT ALL OF THE PLASTIC PIPE CWENTLY UNDER THE ROAD BED WOULD BE REPLACED. 5:10 P.M. THE REPLACEMENT AND REPAIR OF THE 3/4" PLASTIC SERVICE FOR 204 N. FRANKLIN STREET WAS COMPLETED AND PSNC PERSONNEL LEFT THE SCENE. 10:03 P.M. THE METER AT 204 NORTH FRANKLIN STREET WAS TURNED ON AND ALL GAS APPLIANCES WERE WORKING. DESCRIPTION OF GAS FACILITIES THE 3/4" PLASTIC NATURAL GAS SERVICE WAS INSTALLED AT 204 NORTH FRANKLIN STREET ON NOVEMBER 22, 1989, BY A PSNC CONSTRUCTION CREW. IT IS OPERATED AT 60 PSI. EVALUATION OF DAMAGE THE 3/4" PLASTIC SERVICE WAS SEVERED AND IGNITED BY A RECLAIMING MACHINE WHILE THE CONTRACTOR WAS REMOVING COVER AND FILL FROM THE ROAD RIGHT OF WAY. THE COST TO MAKE REPAIRS ON THE 3/4" PLASTIC SERVICE AND RE-LIGHT THE RESIDENCE AT 204 NORTH FRANKLIN STREET WAS APPROXIMATELY $1,717.87 THE DAMAGE TO THE RECLAIM ING MACHINE MAY BE $100,000. EVALUATION OF CAUSE THE CONTRACTOR WAS GRADING IN THE ROAD RIGHT-OF-WAY WITH A RECLAIMING MACHINE WHEN THEY SEVERED THE PLASTIC NATURAL GAS SERVICE LINE. NO LOCATES WERE CALLED IN TO THE NORTH CAROLINA ONE CALL CENTER OR TO PSNC PRIOR TO THE WORK BEGINNING. INCIDENT COORDINATION COORDINATION BETWEEN PSNC ENERGY AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE PERSONNEL WAS VERY GOOD. THE CHINA GROVE FIRE DEPARTMENT CONTROLLED TRAFFIC AND MONITORED THE AREA UNTIL IT WAS MADE SAFE. ASSESSMENT OF PSNC ENERGY PERFORMANCE PSNC ENERGY RESPONDED TO THE INCIDENT, ACCURATELY IDENTIFIED THE PROBLEM, AND WORKED WITH EMERGENCY RESPONDERS TO MAKE THE AREA SAFE IN A TIMELY MANNER. COORDINATION BETWEEN COMPANY PERSONNEL AND NON-PSNC RESPONDERS WAS GOOD. PSNC EMPLOYEES ON THE SCENE NAME, JOB TITLE DONALD L. BOYIAS, CREW LEADER RONNIE P. GREGORY, SENIOR EQUIPMENT OPERATOR BRYAN D. MILLS, PIPE LAYER I DALE F. BROCK, FIELD SERVICE SPECIALIST ROBERT E. HAMMONDS, LOCATOR FIRST RESPONDER KEVIN L. JOHNSON, LOCATOR FIRST RESPONDER OSCAR D. BOST, SENIOR CREW LEADER DOUGLAS N. DONALDSON, SENIOR PIPE LAYER RICHARD P. HALE, WELDER BRIAN E. SMITH, EQUIPMENT OPERATOR TERRY M. OVERCASH, CREW LEADER MARK E. CRAFT, SENIOR EQUIPMENT OPERATOR RONALD D. HARRINGTON, EQUIPMENT OPERATOR WILBUR J. NORRIS, SUPERVISOR PHMSA trend classification: significant incident, not serious, not fire-first. PHMSA standardized cause: EXCAVATION DAMAGE — THIRD PARTY EXCAVATION DAMAGE. PHMSA indexed costs: $101,717 reported total cost, $61,351.828 in 1984 dollars, $150,842.007 in current-year dollars. PHMSA trend flags, standardized causes, and indexed costs are analytical fields added to operator-reported incident data. They do not represent final agency causal findings. ## Provenance - Official: Yes - Source: - Source ID: `phmsa-pipeline-incidents` - SHA-256: `9acbc4fd397770727de02a95a12d27391ee7c6f481acd3adc5f81c1868cc10f5` - Retrieved: 2026-08-20T03:30:32.010Z - Exported: 2026-08-24T10:06:45.884Z - Document slug: `phmsa-incident-95008d98c022552784b995ab` ### Source metadata ```json { "recordKind": "pipeline_incident", "datasetType": "gas_distribution", "datasetLabel": "Gas distribution", "datasetPeriod": "March 2004 to December 2009", "report": { "number": "20050166", "supplementalNumber": null, "type": null, "receivedDate": null, "receivedDateRaw": null }, "operator": { "id": "15938", "name": "PUBLIC SERVICE OF NORTH CAROLINA, INCORPORATED (DBA PSNC ENERGY)" }, "incident": { "date": "2005-10-24", "dateRaw": "10/24/2005" }, "location": { "city": "CHINA GROVE", "county": "ROWAN COUNTY", "state": "NC", "postalCode": "28023", "latitude": null, "longitude": null, "type": null, "details": {}, "facilityName": null }, "cause": { "category": "9", "details": { "CAUSE_DETAILS_TEXT": "THIRD PARTY EXCAVATION DAMAGE", "NARRATIVE": "GAS SERVICE WAS DAMAGED BY CONTRACTOR RECLAIMING THE ROAD. SEE ATTACHED REPORT. 11/09/2005 FINAL REPORT: NORTH FRANKLIN STREET, CHINA GROVE NORTH CAROLINA TIME LINE OF EVENTS MONDAY, OCTOBER 24,2005 1:26 P.M. PROPST CONSTRUCTION COMPANY HIT AND SEVERED A 3/4\" PLASTIC NATURAL GAS SERVICE IN THE CENTER OF NORTH FRANKLIN STREET APPROXIMATELY 72 FEET NORTH OF THE CENTER LINE OF SWINK STREET. THE 3/4\" PLASTIC SERVICE FED NATURAL GAS TO THE RESIDENTS AT 204 NORTH FRANKLIN STREET. THE UNCONTROLLED ESCAPE OF NATURAL GAS IGNITED IMMEDIATELY AND THE RECLAIMER MACHINE THAT SEVERED THE NATURAL GAS LINE STARTED BURNING. 1:27 P.M. THE CHINA GROVE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS ALARMED TO RESPOND TO FIRE AT THE INTERSECTION OF SWINK STREET AND NORTH FRANKLIN STREET. 1:30 P.M. THE CHINA GROVE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED ON THE SCENE AND STARTED TO FIGHT THE FIRE. 1:45 P.M. THE EMPLOYEE OPERATING THE RECLAIMER MACHINE FOR PROPST CONSTRUCTION COMPANY INFORMED THE CHINA GROVE FIRE CHIEF THAT HE THOUGHT HE MAY HAVE HIT A NATURAL GAS LINE AND THAT MAY BE THE REASON THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS HAVING A HARD TIME PUTTING OUT THE FIRE. 1:46 P.M. THE CHINA GROVE FIRE DEPARTMENT EVACUATED FOUR HOMES IN THE 200 BLOCK OF NORTH FRANKLIN STREET. 1:47 P.M. PSNC EMPLOYEE DALE BROCK HEARD OVER A SCANNER THAT THERE WAS A GAS FIRE ON NORTH FRANKLIN STREET IN CHINA GROVE. DALE CALLED THE CONCORD OPERATION CENTER AND INFORMED AN OPERATIONS ASSISTANT THAT HE WAS ON HIS WAY TO THE FIRE. 1:54 P.M. DAVID WITH THE CITY OF CHINA GROVE NOTIFIED THE CALL CENTER THAT A MILLING MACHINE HIT A NATURAL GAS LINE AND IT WAS ON FIRE. DAVID WAS NOT SURE IF GAS WAS BLOWING BUT THE FIRE DEPARTMENTS FROM KANNAPOLIS AND LANDIS WERE ALSO BEING DISPATCHED TO HELP. 1:58 P.M. PSNC EMPLOYEE DALE BROCK ARRIVED ON THE SCENE AND INFORMED THE OPERATIONS CENTER AS TO THE CURRENT STATUS OF EVENTS ON NORTH FRANKLIN STREET. 2:00 P.M. THE CONSTRUCTION SUPERVISOR WAS INFORMED OF THE INCIDENT. A LOCATOR/FIRST RESPONDER AND TWO CONSTRUCTION CREWS WERE DISPATCHED TO THE SCENE. A THIRD CONSTRUCTION CREW WAS DISPATCHED TO THE OPERATIONS CENTER AND PUT ON STAND-BY TO BRING ANY EQUIPMENT OR MATERIALS NEEDED TO ASSIST IN THE INCIDENT. 2:25 P.M. THE LOCATOR/FIRST RESPONDER AND ONE OF THE CONSTRUCTION CREWS ARRIVED ON THE SCENE AND BEGAN ACCESSING THE SITUATION. THREE FIRE TRUCKS WERE SPRAYING WATER ON THE BURNING RECLAIMER MACHINE IN ORDER TO KEEP IT COOL WHILE THE NATURAL GAS RUPTURE WAS STILL BURNING. 2:40 P.M. THE CONSTRUCTION SUPERVISOR AND THE SECOND CONSTRUCTION CREW ARRIVED ON THE SCENE. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE FLOW OF NATURAL GAS COULD BE STOPPED BY EXCAVATING WITH SHOVELS THE TAP-N-TEE ON THE MAIN AND SQUEEZING OFF THE PLASTIC 3/4\" SERVICE LINE. 2:50 P.M. THE 3/4\" PLASTIC SERVICE WAS SQUEEZED OFF PREVENTING THE UNCONTROLLED ESCAPE OF NATURAL GAS. 2:54 P.M. THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED AND THE SCENE WAS DECLARED SAFE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ALLOWED THE FOUR EVACUATED HOMES TO BE RE-ENTERED. 3:10 P.M. THE REPLACEMENT OF THE DAMAGED 3/4\" PLASTIC SERVICE BEGAN. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT ALL OF THE PLASTIC PIPE CWENTLY UNDER THE ROAD BED WOULD BE REPLACED. 5:10 P.M. THE REPLACEMENT AND REPAIR OF THE 3/4\" PLASTIC SERVICE FOR 204 N. FRANKLIN STREET WAS COMPLETED AND PSNC PERSONNEL LEFT THE SCENE. 10:03 P.M. THE METER AT 204 NORTH FRANKLIN STREET WAS TURNED ON AND ALL GAS APPLIANCES WERE WORKING. DESCRIPTION OF GAS FACILITIES THE 3/4\" PLASTIC NATURAL GAS SERVICE WAS INSTALLED AT 204 NORTH FRANKLIN STREET ON NOVEMBER 22, 1989, BY A PSNC CONSTRUCTION CREW. IT IS OPERATED AT 60 PSI. EVALUATION OF DAMAGE THE 3/4\" PLASTIC SERVICE WAS SEVERED AND IGNITED BY A RECLAIMING MACHINE WHILE THE CONTRACTOR WAS REMOVING COVER AND FILL FROM THE ROAD RIGHT OF WAY. THE COST TO MAKE REPAIRS ON THE 3/4\" PLASTIC SERVICE AND RE-LIGHT THE RESIDENCE AT 204 NORTH FRANKLIN STREET WAS APPROXIMATELY $1,717.87 THE DAMAGE TO THE RECLAIM ING MACHINE MAY BE $100,000. EVALUATION OF CAUSE THE CONTRACTOR WAS GRADING IN THE ROAD RIGHT-OF-WAY WITH A RECLAIMING MACHINE WHEN THEY SEVERED THE PLASTIC NATURAL GAS SERVICE LINE. NO LOCATES WERE CALLED IN TO THE NORTH CAROLINA ONE CALL CENTER OR TO PSNC PRIOR TO THE WORK BEGINNING. INCIDENT COORDINATION COORDINATION BETWEEN PSNC ENERGY AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE PERSONNEL WAS VERY GOOD. THE CHINA GROVE FIRE DEPARTMENT CONTROLLED TRAFFIC AND MONITORED THE AREA UNTIL IT WAS MADE SAFE. ASSESSMENT OF PSNC ENERGY PERFORMANCE PSNC ENERGY RESPONDED TO THE INCIDENT, ACCURATELY IDENTIFIED THE PROBLEM, AND WORKED WITH EMERGENCY RESPONDERS TO MAKE THE AREA SAFE IN A TIMELY MANNER. COORDINATION BETWEEN COMPANY PERSONNEL AND NON-PSNC RESPONDERS WAS GOOD. PSNC EMPLOYEES ON THE SCENE NAME, JOB TITLE DONALD L. BOYIAS, CREW LEADER RONNIE P. GREGORY, SENIOR EQUIPMENT OPERATOR BRYAN D. MILLS, PIPE LAYER I DALE F. BROCK, FIELD SERVICE SPECIALIST ROBERT E. HAMMONDS, LOCATOR FIRST RESPONDER KEVIN L. JOHNSON, LOCATOR FIRST RESPONDER OSCAR D. BOST, SENIOR CREW LEADER DOUGLAS N. DONALDSON, SENIOR PIPE LAYER RICHARD P. HALE, WELDER BRIAN E. SMITH, EQUIPMENT OPERATOR TERRY M. OVERCASH, CREW LEADER MARK E. CRAFT, SENIOR EQUIPMENT OPERATOR RONALD D. HARRINGTON, EQUIPMENT OPERATOR WILBUR J. NORRIS, SUPERVISOR" } }, "consequences": { "fatalities": 0, "injuries": 0, "commodity": null, "release": null, "propertyDamage": 101717, "estimatedOperatorCost": null, "estimatedEmergencyCost": null, "estimatedEnvironmentalCost": null, "ignition": null, "explosion": null, "evacuated": null, "raw": { "FATAL": "0", "INJURE": "0", "PRPTY": "101717" } }, "provenance": { "viewId": "27nc-rsge", "viewUrl": "https://data.transportation.gov/api/views/27nc-rsge", "assetId": "ef2727e4-bb70-4544-b292-9429027a9b14", "archiveFilename": "Gas Distribution Incident Data - March 2004 to December 2009.zip", "archiveSha256": "b531b74bc55d75300f7541846e5728765376a1b40754e47acf4baa55d40683ae", "memberPath": "incident_gas_distribution_mar2004_dec2009.txt", "memberSha256": "a7791365298c31a316e9ad88110af4a0f7742a3505556b2d6bfa3f77446bffdd", "rowNumber": 262, "rowSha256": "bf3efde6e0f4066b8da3c9f269bf80d5dc4855332e6ff592bde0772775d842a1" }, "caveat": "Operator-reported incident data submitted to PHMSA, generally within 30 days. Records may be supplemented or corrected and do not represent final agency causal findings.", "operatorReported": true, "finalAgencyFinding": false, "flaggedAnalysis": { "dataAsOf": "2026-07-31", "flags": { "fireFirst": false, "significant": true, "serious": false }, "standardizedCause": { "sevenCategory": "EXCAVATION DAMAGE", "sevenSubcategory": "THIRD PARTY EXCAVATION DAMAGE", "eightCategory": "EXCAVATION DAMAGE", "eightSubcategory": "THIRD PARTY EXCAVATION DAMAGE" }, "costs": { "reported": 101717, "in1984Dollars": 61351.8282408687, "currentYearDollars": 150842.007280729 }, "caveat": "PHMSA trend flags, standardized causes, and indexed costs are analytical fields added to operator-reported incident data. They do not represent final agency causal findings.", "provenance": { "sourceUrl": "https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/data_statistics/pipeline/PHMSA_Pipeline_Safety_Flagged_Incidents.zip", "landingPageUrl": "https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/data-and-statistics/pipeline/pipeline-incident-flagged-files", "catalogUrl": "https://data.transportation.gov/Pipelines-and-Hazmat/Pipeline-Incident-Flagged-Files/qdme-9bbm", "retrievalMode": "official_live", "archivedAt": null, "archiveSha256": "317e6a3e16d60b9b677efe391dc40258b5dd7ead83fb8bea74cb553cedfbbdec", "workbook": "gdmar2004to2009.xlsx", "sheet": "gdmar2004to2009", "rowNumber": 262, "rowSha256": "34fefbc1c67350ce1ca5dc3e46f372e7f78e230b0ae9ba09148c4ac7fc3c6d3a" } }, "jurisdiction": "US", "operatorName": "PUBLIC SERVICE OF NORTH CAROLINA, INCORPORATED (DBA PSNC ENERGY)" } ```