Narrative:

The supervisor assigned me to relieve the local controller. I was working the local control coordinator position where I maintain continuous liaison with ny TRACON and observe, assist and coordinate for local control. As such the position relief briefing was basically aerodrome traffic, all other restrictions/conditions/frequencys, etc I already knew. Despite the limited information I required, the controller being relieved seemed to be in a rush and gave me the traffic very quickly. I was trained in part by this controller and trusted him, so when he asked, 'do you have it?' I replied yes, feeling satisfied I had all the traffic. The WX was rapidly deteriorating. Runway 22L now obscured by fog. The asde was operating but useless as usual. I was getting very busy very fast. 2 aircraft were holding short of runway 22R, air carrier X and air carrier Y. I checked my strip bay for runway 22R, found no arrival strips. Checked the BRITE and found a mode C target that appeared to be lined up with runway 22L but was near the main band and also obscured by the video map lines. I now believe the target that was on short final was landing on runway 22L being I had correlated all the above information. I scanned 22R then cleared both aircraft across. I turned back to my position and saw a widebody transport just beginning his landing rollout (air carrier Z). I was stunned, searched further for an arrival strip and found it. The strip was time stamped in advanced of the actual arrival and not replaced in the strip bay, but in a highly unobservable spot on the ARTS keypack. Both taxiing aircraft held short of runway, but beyond hold lines. I did not see error until too late to issue new instructions. Recommend: ARTS automatic drop area be moved in closer. Our BRITE displays are old and frequently need repair, could use new digital BRITE. We need the new asde III now! The unit for jfk was reassigned due to tower construction which is now in delay status. Finally, jfk is severely understaffed and controllers overworked, no matter what FAA says.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DURING REDUCED WX CONDITIONS, 2 ACFT WERE CLEARED ACROSS APCH END OF RWY WHILE AN UNDETECTED ACR WAS LNDG. THE TAXIING ACFT HELD SHORT OF RWY, BUT CROSSED THE HOLD LINE.

Narrative: THE SUPVR ASSIGNED ME TO RELIEVE THE LCL CTLR. I WAS WORKING THE LCL CTL COORDINATOR POS WHERE I MAINTAIN CONTINUOUS LIAISON WITH NY TRACON AND OBSERVE, ASSIST AND COORDINATE FOR LCL CTL. AS SUCH THE POS RELIEF BRIEFING WAS BASICALLY AERODROME TFC, ALL OTHER RESTRICTIONS/CONDITIONS/FREQS, ETC I ALREADY KNEW. DESPITE THE LIMITED INFO I REQUIRED, THE CTLR BEING RELIEVED SEEMED TO BE IN A RUSH AND GAVE ME THE TFC VERY QUICKLY. I WAS TRAINED IN PART BY THIS CTLR AND TRUSTED HIM, SO WHEN HE ASKED, 'DO YOU HAVE IT?' I REPLIED YES, FEELING SATISFIED I HAD ALL THE TFC. THE WX WAS RAPIDLY DETERIORATING. RWY 22L NOW OBSCURED BY FOG. THE ASDE WAS OPERATING BUT USELESS AS USUAL. I WAS GETTING VERY BUSY VERY FAST. 2 ACFT WERE HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 22R, ACR X AND ACR Y. I CHKED MY STRIP BAY FOR RWY 22R, FOUND NO ARR STRIPS. CHKED THE BRITE AND FOUND A MODE C TARGET THAT APPEARED TO BE LINED UP WITH RWY 22L BUT WAS NEAR THE MAIN BAND AND ALSO OBSCURED BY THE VIDEO MAP LINES. I NOW BELIEVE THE TARGET THAT WAS ON SHORT FINAL WAS LNDG ON RWY 22L BEING I HAD CORRELATED ALL THE ABOVE INFO. I SCANNED 22R THEN CLRED BOTH ACFT ACROSS. I TURNED BACK TO MY POS AND SAW A WDB JUST BEGINNING HIS LNDG ROLLOUT (ACR Z). I WAS STUNNED, SEARCHED FURTHER FOR AN ARR STRIP AND FOUND IT. THE STRIP WAS TIME STAMPED IN ADVANCED OF THE ACTUAL ARR AND NOT REPLACED IN THE STRIP BAY, BUT IN A HIGHLY UNOBSERVABLE SPOT ON THE ARTS KEYPACK. BOTH TAXIING ACFT HELD SHORT OF RWY, BUT BEYOND HOLD LINES. I DID NOT SEE ERROR UNTIL TOO LATE TO ISSUE NEW INSTRUCTIONS. RECOMMEND: ARTS AUTO DROP AREA BE MOVED IN CLOSER. OUR BRITE DISPLAYS ARE OLD AND FREQUENTLY NEED REPAIR, COULD USE NEW DIGITAL BRITE. WE NEED THE NEW ASDE III NOW! THE UNIT FOR JFK WAS REASSIGNED DUE TO TWR CONSTRUCTION WHICH IS NOW IN DELAY STATUS. FINALLY, JFK IS SEVERELY UNDERSTAFFED AND CTLRS OVERWORKED, NO MATTER WHAT FAA SAYS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.