NTSB Safety Recommendation P-99-006

NTSB safety recommendation P-99-006.

THE NTSB RECOMMENDS THAT THE AMERICAN PETROLEUM INSTITUTE: 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 - Acceptable Action

Issued Date: 1999-04-28

Adopted Date: 1999-04-20

Overall Date Closed: 1999-08-09

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 Petroleum Institute

Addressee Status: Closed - Acceptable Action

Addressee Date Closed: 1999-08-09

Addressee Acronym: API

Addressee Organization Type: A-Associations

Communication Date: 1999-05-10

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: Letter Mail Controlled 5/14/99 4:32:23 PM MC# 990512 PROVIDED COPY OF FORWARDING LETTER, DATED 5/10/99 API PIPELINE COMMITTEE MEMBERS (WITH NTSB GREEN SHEET AS ENCLOSURE) INFORMING THEIR MEMBERSHIP OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE ACCIDENT AND FOR THEIR CONSIDERATION AND USE IN EVALUATING THE MEMBERS COMPANY DAMAGE PREVENTION PROGRAMS.

Addressee Acronym: API

Addressee Organization Type: A-Associations

Communication Date: 1999-08-09

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: THE SAFETY BOARD NOTES THAT, ON 5/10/99, THE API FORWARDED TO ITS MEMBERS A COPY OF THE BOARD'S RECOMMENDATION LETTER, WHICH PROVIDED THEM WITH INFORMATION ABOUT THE INDIANAPOLIS ACCIDENT AND ABOUT THE NEED TO EVALUATE THEIR COMPANY DAMAGE PROTECTION PROGRAMS TO ENSURE THAT PROCEDURES ARE IN PLACE TO PROTECT EXISTING PIPELINES DURING NEARBY DIRECTIONAL DRILLING OPERATIONS. BASED ON THIS EFFORT, P-99-6 HAS BEEN CLASSIFIED "CLOSED--ACCEPTABLE ACTION."