Narrative:

I was working the local control position in the tower cabin attendant when a fellow controller came into the cabin attendant to provide me with a break. I gave a complete and thorough position relief briefing, indicating that runway 36 was the advertised active and that runway 6-24 was at the disposal of ground control to use for taxiing aircraft. I also indicated that an aircraft was inbound for touch and goes and would report entering a right base for runway 24. This may sound a bit unusual but it is normal practice at our facility to wait until an aircraft reaches its reporting point before coordinating for the use of the inactive runway. This practice provides for efficient use of the airport for taxiing aircraft. There is a display area in the tower cabin attendant that indicates the status of the non advertised runway. The controller who relieved me said in his statement that he understood that the non advertised runway was active, if this was the case, according to our procedures, he should have questioned the position of the indicator in the display area, which he did not. Supplemental information from acn 118906: during a position relief briefing at an airport where ground controller has control of inactive runways, the relieving controller was told all runways were active. After one operation on the off runway, the local controller was informed by the ground controller that use of the off runway had not been coordinated with ground control. This is how the problem was discovered. No actions were required as there was only 1 aircraft in the vicinity and ground control had no ground traffic. Supplemental information from acn 118457: I was on duty at the ATC tower and working one of the two control positions being manned at the time. Ground control is a combined position including ground control, clearance delivery, and flight data duties. Runway 06/24 was designated an inactive (status) runway, meaning its use is that of ground control's until such time local control coordinates via verbal communication for its use as a secondary active runway, as outlined in current ATC tower facility directives. Such coordination is to be initiated by local, then acknowledged approved disapproved by ground. Use of common, recognizable objects within the tower cabin attendant are used to symbolize the active or inactive status of runways, called visual aids. I heard an aircraft (flying) pass by the north side of the control tower, where runway 06/24 is located. I then observed the local controller walk over to my position and manipulate by hand the visual aid used to indicate that all runways are active, but west/O initiating the required verbal coordination with me, for this operation conducted on runway 24. I then asked the local controller if runway 06 or 24 was active, or what? The local controller's reply was 'runway 24 active'. He further stated that he thought the controller previously working local control had coordinated the use of runway 24. No coordination was effected with me for use of runway 06 or 24 regarding this occurrence.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA WAS CLEARED FOR TOUCH AND GO ON A RWY UNDER THE JURISDICTION OF THE GND CTLR WITHOUT PROPER COORD.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING THE LCL CTL POSITION IN THE TWR CAB WHEN A FELLOW CTLR CAME INTO THE CAB TO PROVIDE ME WITH A BREAK. I GAVE A COMPLETE AND THOROUGH POSITION RELIEF BRIEFING, INDICATING THAT RWY 36 WAS THE ADVERTISED ACTIVE AND THAT RWY 6-24 WAS AT THE DISPOSAL OF GND CTL TO USE FOR TAXIING ACFT. I ALSO INDICATED THAT AN ACFT WAS INBND FOR TOUCH AND GOES AND WOULD REPORT ENTERING A RIGHT BASE FOR RWY 24. THIS MAY SOUND A BIT UNUSUAL BUT IT IS NORMAL PRACTICE AT OUR FAC TO WAIT UNTIL AN ACFT REACHES ITS REPORTING POINT BEFORE COORDINATING FOR THE USE OF THE INACTIVE RWY. THIS PRACTICE PROVIDES FOR EFFICIENT USE OF THE ARPT FOR TAXIING ACFT. THERE IS A DISPLAY AREA IN THE TWR CAB THAT INDICATES THE STATUS OF THE NON ADVERTISED RWY. THE CTLR WHO RELIEVED ME SAID IN HIS STATEMENT THAT HE UNDERSTOOD THAT THE NON ADVERTISED RWY WAS ACTIVE, IF THIS WAS THE CASE, ACCORDING TO OUR PROCS, HE SHOULD HAVE QUESTIONED THE POSITION OF THE INDICATOR IN THE DISPLAY AREA, WHICH HE DID NOT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION FROM ACN 118906: DURING A POSITION RELIEF BRIEFING AT AN ARPT WHERE GND CTLR HAS CTL OF INACTIVE RWYS, THE RELIEVING CTLR WAS TOLD ALL RWYS WERE ACTIVE. AFTER ONE OPERATION ON THE OFF RWY, THE LCL CTLR WAS INFORMED BY THE GND CTLR THAT USE OF THE OFF RWY HAD NOT BEEN COORDINATED WITH GND CTL. THIS IS HOW THE PROBLEM WAS DISCOVERED. NO ACTIONS WERE REQUIRED AS THERE WAS ONLY 1 ACFT IN THE VICINITY AND GND CTL HAD NO GND TFC. SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION FROM ACN 118457: I WAS ON DUTY AT THE ATC TWR AND WORKING ONE OF THE TWO CTL POSITIONS BEING MANNED AT THE TIME. GND CTL IS A COMBINED POSITION INCLUDING GND CTL, CLRNC DELIVERY, AND FLT DATA DUTIES. RWY 06/24 WAS DESIGNATED AN INACTIVE (STATUS) RWY, MEANING ITS USE IS THAT OF GND CTL'S UNTIL SUCH TIME LCL CTL COORDINATES VIA VERBAL COM FOR ITS USE AS A SECONDARY ACTIVE RWY, AS OUTLINED IN CURRENT ATC TWR FAC DIRECTIVES. SUCH COORD IS TO BE INITIATED BY LCL, THEN ACKNOWLEDGED APPROVED DISAPPROVED BY GND. USE OF COMMON, RECOGNIZABLE OBJECTS WITHIN THE TWR CAB ARE USED TO SYMBOLIZE THE ACTIVE OR INACTIVE STATUS OF RWYS, CALLED VISUAL AIDS. I HEARD AN ACFT (FLYING) PASS BY THE N SIDE OF THE CTL TWR, WHERE RWY 06/24 IS LOCATED. I THEN OBSERVED THE LCL CTLR WALK OVER TO MY POSITION AND MANIPULATE BY HAND THE VISUAL AID USED TO INDICATE THAT ALL RWYS ARE ACTIVE, BUT W/O INITIATING THE REQUIRED VERBAL COORD WITH ME, FOR THIS OPERATION CONDUCTED ON RWY 24. I THEN ASKED THE LCL CTLR IF RWY 06 OR 24 WAS ACTIVE, OR WHAT? THE LCL CTLR'S REPLY WAS 'RWY 24 ACTIVE'. HE FURTHER STATED THAT HE THOUGHT THE CTLR PREVIOUSLY WORKING LCL CTL HAD COORDINATED THE USE OF RWY 24. NO COORD WAS EFFECTED WITH ME FOR USE OF RWY 06 OR 24 REGARDING THIS OCCURRENCE.

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.