06 May NTSB Releases Initial Report on Fatal Lexington, MO Gas Explosion
Statement: NTSB Releases Initial Report on Fatal Lexington, MO Gas Explosion
Missouri Senate adopts CGA Best Practices the following day to prevent damage, injuries and fatalities
Lexington, MO – Today, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released its initial report on the April 9 gas line explosion that claimed the life of 5-year-old Alistair Lamb and injured his family. The NTSB has been investigating the incident, with the initial report determining this tragedy was caused in part by damage to an unlocated, unmarked buried natural gas line.
The Common Ground Alliance (CGA) is the national association that publishes the underground infrastructure industry’s Best Practices for preventing damage to utility lines. According to CGA’s industry data, utility line locating issues are one of the top 3 reasons buried utilities are damaged, along with not contacting 811 and excavation issues. Also according to CGA data, Missouri suffers more than 1,000 incidents of damage to buried utilities each year — that’s three each day, on average.
CGA President and CEO and Damage Prevention Action Center (DPAC) Executive Director Sarah K. Magruder Lyle issued the following statement on the report:
“This initial report is a reminder that contacting 811 before digging is the first step — but it’s not the only step. Preventing damage to buried utilities takes everyone doing their part, including utility facility owners, locators and excavators. That’s why best practices exist when digging around buried utility lines, to protect the lives of those working around utilities and the broader community. Accurately locating and marking underground utilities relies on accurate maps of those utilities. Buried infrastructure owners and operators must commit to follow nationally recognized best practices to prevent these tragedies. That includes ensuring utility maps are up-to-date and that every utility line is marked, every time. We appreciate the NTSB’s work on this incident, and we’re continuing to monitor the situation closely. What already happened in Lexington can’t be changed — but communities everywhere are relying on industry stakeholders to make changes and get this right.”
Background: On April 9, 2025, an explosion destroyed the Lexington, MO home of Jacob Cunningham and his children, killing his son Alistair Lamb. Earlier that day, a subcontractor laying fiber-optic cable struck an unmarked natural gas line. Although Missouri 811 had been notified prior to excavation, and utility operators including Liberty Gas marked known utility lines, the company’s natural gas line remained unmarked.
From the NTSB Report: “Liberty Utilities sent a locator to mark its assets by painting and flagging and reported that this work was finished on April 7. The location of the uncapped gas main section involved in the accident was not identified or marked during this process.“
CGA publishes 160 industry Best Practices to prevent incidents like those in Lexington, including the timely updating of utility maps and marking all utilities. The day following this incident, the Missouri Senate voted to adopt CGA Best Practices into state law, passing SB 133.
About CGA: Common Ground Alliance is a member-driven association of nearly 4,000 damage prevention professionals spanning every facet of the underground utility industry. Established in 2000, CGA is committed to saving lives and preventing damage to North American underground infrastructure by promoting effective best practices. CGA has established itself as the preeminent source of damage prevention data and information in an effort to reduce damages to underground facilities in North America through shared responsibility among all stakeholders.
About DPAC: The Damage Prevention Action Center advocates for public policies and industry practices that protect our Nation’s critical underground utility infrastructure and those who work and live near these important assets. DPAC focuses on educating policymakers at the federal, state and local levels on the importance of updating and enacting laws and regulations to meet the needs of today by implementing effective damage prevention policies, as well as understanding the significant economic, environmental, safety and social impacts of dig-ins on communities.
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