An small transport was inadvertently cleared to land on a closed runway.

Attributes
ACN	116569
Time
Date	198907
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : elp
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : msp
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Recip Eng
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi landing other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Experience	controller radar : 2
ASRS Report	116569
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error

Narrative:

I was working as the local controller and as controller in charge. Runway 26L was closed for repair. We were using runway 22 and runway 26R. Tower was minimum staffed to accomplish training. Small transport X inbound to airport was ARTS tagged as an arrival for runway 26R. On initial contact, I thought I instructed him to follow another aircraft to runway 26R, and I cleared him to land. Subsequent review of the recording shows that I cleared him to land runway 26L. He also read back runway 26L. Small transport X landed runway 26L, then turned off runway, approximately 1000' from men and equipment on the runway. The following contributed to this incident: 1) short staffing. There was telephone conversation as well as tower cabin attendant discussion about whether or not the runway would open as scheduled. 2) had there been another controller available the distraction of the telephone call and subsequent conversation would have been minimized. 3) pilot awareness could have also helped to avoid this situation. Small transport X had been told at least 4 times prior to expect runway 26R. Also a large yellow water truck was on runway 26L. That should have alerted him to something out of the usual. Since he read back my instructions it did not key in my mind that he had been assigned the wrong runway.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SMT WAS INADVERTENTLY CLEARED TO LAND ON A CLOSED RWY.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING AS THE LCL CTLR AND AS CTLR IN CHARGE. RWY 26L WAS CLOSED FOR REPAIR. WE WERE USING RWY 22 AND RWY 26R. TWR WAS MINIMUM STAFFED TO ACCOMPLISH TRAINING. SMT X INBND TO ARPT WAS ARTS TAGGED AS AN ARR FOR RWY 26R. ON INITIAL CONTACT, I THOUGHT I INSTRUCTED HIM TO FOLLOW ANOTHER ACFT TO RWY 26R, AND I CLRED HIM TO LAND. SUBSEQUENT REVIEW OF THE RECORDING SHOWS THAT I CLRED HIM TO LAND RWY 26L. HE ALSO READ BACK RWY 26L. SMT X LANDED RWY 26L, THEN TURNED OFF RWY, APPROX 1000' FROM MEN AND EQUIPMENT ON THE RWY. THE FOLLOWING CONTRIBUTED TO THIS INCIDENT: 1) SHORT STAFFING. THERE WAS TELEPHONE CONVERSATION AS WELL AS TWR CAB DISCUSSION ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THE RWY WOULD OPEN AS SCHEDULED. 2) HAD THERE BEEN ANOTHER CTLR AVAILABLE THE DISTR OF THE TELEPHONE CALL AND SUBSEQUENT CONVERSATION WOULD HAVE BEEN MINIMIZED. 3) PLT AWARENESS COULD HAVE ALSO HELPED TO AVOID THIS SITUATION. SMT X HAD BEEN TOLD AT LEAST 4 TIMES PRIOR TO EXPECT RWY 26R. ALSO A LARGE YELLOW WATER TRUCK WAS ON RWY 26L. THAT SHOULD HAVE ALERTED HIM TO SOMETHING OUT OF THE USUAL. SINCE HE READ BACK MY INSTRUCTIONS IT DID NOT KEY IN MY MIND THAT HE HAD BEEN ASSIGNED THE WRONG RWY.

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.