WASHINGTON (Feb. 27, 2019) — An improperly installed gas connection that allowed natural gas to seep into a single-family house was the probable cause of a deadly 2017 explosion in Millersville, Pennsylvania, the National Transportation Safety Board found Wednesday.
The July 2, 2017 explosion at 206 Springdale Lane killed one person and injured three others, destroyed the residence and significantly damaged six neighboring homes, one of which was subsequently condemned.
Central to the investigation was the installation of a tapping tee, the connection between the gas main and the home’s individual gas line.
NTSB’s examination of the tee assembly involved in the accident revealed the assembly was incorrectly installed because a locking sleeve — an important piece of hardware that served as an attachment between the tee and the gas main — was not attached to the main.
(The damage caused by the natural gas fueled explosion at Millersville, Pennsylvania, is seen in this aerial image taken shortly after the explosion. NTSB Photo)The damage caused by the natural gas fueled explosion at Millersville, Pennsylvania, is seen in this aerial image taken shortly after the explosion. NTSB Photo)
Since the locking sleeve was not attached, additional stress was placed on four nylon bolts which hold the tee assembly in place. The NTSB determined two of the four nylon bolts fractured when in service in a manner consistent with slow crack growth. The incorrect installation of the tee, combined with the in-service fracture of the two nylon bolts, allowed gas to escape from the tee assembly.
In June 2018, the NTSB issued four safety recommendations to the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration and Honeywell International Inc. stemming from the Millersville investigation. The recommendations were intended to prevent the incorrect installation of mechanical tapping tee assemblies in gas distribution systems.
The full pipeline accident brief is available on ntsb.gov and at https://go.usa.gov/xEpRc
To report an incident/accident or if you are a public safety agency, please call 1-844-373-9922 or 202-314-6290 to speak to a Watch Officer at the NTSB Response Operations Center (ROC) in Washington, DC (24/7).
