2014 Manhattan Gas Explosion (NTSB Coverage)

On June 9, 2015, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) held a Board Meeting to discuss its findings and final rulings on the March 12, 2014 natural gas explosion in the East Harlem neighborhood of New York City — one of the most significant pipeline incidents in recent U.S. history.

The Incident

The March 12, 2014 explosion in East Harlem resulted from a failure at a service tee connecting the main distribution line to a building service. Two buildings collapsed, killing multiple people and injuring dozens more. The NTSB investigation took over a year to complete.

NTSB Probable Cause Findings

The NTSB identified two probable cause factors:

1. A defective fuse joint at the service tee — the joint failed, allowing gas to escape into the structure
2. A breach in an adjacent sewer line — a sewer line rupture that occurred in 2006 was never properly repaired, causing the soil beneath the gas pipe to shift and the pipe to sag, which contributed to the joint failure

NTSB Recommendations

The NTSB issued several recommendations in response to this incident, covering:

• Enhanced pipeline integrity management for urban distribution systems
• Requirements for qualified individuals performing leak investigations
• Improved emergency response and evacuation planning
• Use of automatic or remote isolation valves to limit gas flow during emergencies
• Five-year audits of distribution pipeline integrity management programs

This incident reinforces the importance of qualified workforces, proper recordkeeping, and proactive integrity management in protecting the public. Contact EWN to discuss your OQ and integrity management programs.