# NTSB Safety Recommendation P-84-016 - **operation:** document - **citation:** P-84-016 - **title:** NTSB Safety Recommendation P-84-016 - **source type:** guidance - **agency:** National Transportation Safety Board - **status:** guidance - **official:** true - **published on:** 1984-06-15 - **effective on:** 1984-06-15 - **summary:** 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. - **machine formats:** - **json:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/ntsb-recommendation-p-84-016.json - **markdown:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/ntsb-recommendation-p-84-016.md - **app url:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/ntsb-recommendation-p-84-016 - **source url:** https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-main-public/sr-details/P-84-016 **body:** 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 - **truncated:** false - **body characters:** 2473