Preliminary NTSB Report Reveals Problems Shutting Off Ruptured Pipeline That Killed Two

Preliminary NTSB Report Reveals Problems Shutting Off Ruptured Pipeline That Killed Two

by | Sep 23, 2021 | News

By Terri Jo Neff |

The fiery Aug. 15 explosion of a Kinder Morgan natural gas pipeline which killed two members of Coolidge family and severely burned another ejected a 46-foot section of the pipeline and left a massive crater, according to a preliminary report issued Wednesday by the National Transportation Safety Board.

The rupture of the 30-inch diameter transmission pipeline, known as Line 2000,  occurred around 5:30 a.m., sending the ejected pipeline nearly 130 feet away into a field. The subsequent fireball destroyed the home of Luiz and Rosalita Alvarez and was visible for miles, including Casa Grande.

Emergency responders found Luiz and the couple’s 14-year-old daughter Valeria deceased in the house. Rosalita was found nearby with multiple injuries.

According to the report, it took Kinder Morgan personnel one hour to locate and manually shut off the pipeline’s nearest downstream valve. The fire, however, was not extinguished until shortly after 8 a.m. when the nearest upstream valve was finally isolated, the report states.

The investigation to date found that Line 2000 was installed in 1985 to transport crude oil. It was converted for the transmission of natural gas around 2005 when operated by El Paso Natural Gas. Houston-based Kinder Morgan acquired the line in 2012.

The continuing investigation will focus on metallurgical analysis and testing of the ruptured pipeline as well as adjacent sections of pipe which were not damaged. In addition, investigators will look into causal factors and pipeline safety.

Assisting NTSB in this matter are Kinder Morgan, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, the Arizona Corporation Commission, the Pinal County Fire Investigation Taskforce, and the Coolidge Police Department.

The NTSB is an independent federal agency responsible for determining the probable cause for pipeline incidents, as well as civil aviation, railroad, highway, and marine accidents. NTSB spokesman Peter Knudson has said a final report about the incident could take 12 to 24 months to complete.

Preliminary NTSB Report Reveals Problems Shutting Off Ruptured Pipeline That Killed Two

NTSB Continues To Investigate Deadly Coolidge Pipeline Explosion

by | Aug 20, 2021 | News

By Terri Jo Neff |

Three investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board are in Coolidge hoping to determine what caused a 30-inch El Paso Natural Gas pipeline to explode earlier this week, killing two members of a family and critically injuring a third.

Rosalita Alvarez remains hospitalized in Phoenix after suffering severe burns in a house fire which ignited shortly after 5:30 a.m. last Sunday. Her husband Luiz and their daughter Valeria, 14, died inside the house, according to the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office.

Authorities believe the fire was triggered by the explosion of the Kinder Morgan-owned pipeline. The ruptured portion of the pipeline is located about one football field’s distance from the Alvarez home, which was destroyed in the blaze.

According to Peter Knudson of the NTSB, the agency’s investigators arrived Monday and are expected to remain in the area for a few more days as they search for the probable cause of the explosion and fire. They are also looking for any contributing factors.

The NTSB is joined in the investigation by the Arizona Corporation Commission, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, and Kinder Morgan. The Pinal County Sheriff’s Office and the Coolidge Police Department are also involved due to the fatalities.

Knudson told AZ Free News on Thursday that a preliminary report will be posted to the NTSB website in mid-September. However, a final report about the tragedy could take 12 to 24 months to complete.

In a statement released by Kinder Morgan shortly after the incident, the company said it experienced “a pipeline failure” but that the impacted pipeline segment was isolated. It took emergency responders until nearly 8 a.m. to shut off the flow of gas to the area, the Coolidge Fire Department reported.

Coolidge residents miles away from the pipeline reported hearing and feeling the explosion Sunday morning, and a large fireball was visible for miles, including in Casa Grande.

The NTSB is an independent federal agency responsible for determining the probable cause for pipeline incidents, as well as civil aviation, railroad, highway, and marine accidents.