Narrative:

I was the relieving air traffic control specialist for the local control (tower) operating position. I reviewed our status information board and then keyed the briefing line at the position stating that I'd reviewed all pertinent facility status information. The controller being relieved informed me of all active traffic on the frequency, as well as what each particular airplane was doing at the time. We then exchanged our operating initials which ended the briefing, and allowed me to assume control of the operating position. During the briefing I'd made the assumption that a particular small aircraft was at the north (approach) end of runway 16L and was waiting to cross the runway for parking. As another aircraft a was on short final to runway 16L making a touch and go, I formulated a plan of allowing the touch and go aircraft to complete the approach phase, and then cross the small aircraft X on the runway behind the arrival. As the touch and go aircraft rolled out onto the runway, I instructed the other small aircraft Y to cross the runway. At this time the controller that had been relieved of the position pointed out the actual location of the small aircraft X crossing the runway (departure end) so one aircraft was not in the takeoff phase of a touch and go, while another was taxiing across the same runway downfield. I called the taxiing small aircraft X to initially try to stop his movement but the aircraft was already well into crossing the runway. I decided at this point to just let the aircraft continue crossing as thee was no immediate danger. This was my first day of a new work week, taking over on a position that I'd worked many, many times before. In retrospect, I feel that complacency and lack of attention contributed to the runway incursion. I made an assumption based on previous experience of where I thought the aircraft to cross the runway would be, instead of taking the time to make sure. Also, I sort of hurried into the position relief briefing, in order to assume the operating position and get on with my work week.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CTLR CLEARED WRONG ACFT TO CROSS RWY IN FRONT OF A TOUCH AND GO ACFT. LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION. SYSTEM ERROR.

Narrative: I WAS THE RELIEVING AIR TFC CTL SPECIALIST FOR THE LCL CTL (TWR) OPERATING POSITION. I REVIEWED OUR STATUS INFO BOARD AND THEN KEYED THE BRIEFING LINE AT THE POSITION STATING THAT I'D REVIEWED ALL PERTINENT FAC STATUS INFO. THE CTLR BEING RELIEVED INFORMED ME OF ALL ACTIVE TFC ON THE FREQ, AS WELL AS WHAT EACH PARTICULAR AIRPLANE WAS DOING AT THE TIME. WE THEN EXCHANGED OUR OPERATING INITIALS WHICH ENDED THE BRIEFING, AND ALLOWED ME TO ASSUME CONTROL OF THE OPERATING POSITION. DURING THE BRIEFING I'D MADE THE ASSUMPTION THAT A PARTICULAR SMA WAS AT THE N (APCH) END OF RWY 16L AND WAS WAITING TO CROSS THE RWY FOR PARKING. AS ANOTHER ACFT A WAS ON SHORT FINAL TO RWY 16L MAKING A TOUCH AND GO, I FORMULATED A PLAN OF ALLOWING THE TOUCH AND GO ACFT TO COMPLETE THE APCH PHASE, AND THEN CROSS THE SMA X ON THE RWY BEHIND THE ARR. AS THE TOUCH AND GO ACFT ROLLED OUT ONTO THE RWY, I INSTRUCTED THE OTHER SMA Y TO CROSS THE RWY. AT THIS TIME THE CTLR THAT HAD BEEN RELIEVED OF THE POSITION POINTED OUT THE ACTUAL LOCATION OF THE SMA X XING THE RWY (DEP END) SO ONE ACFT WAS NOT IN THE TKOF PHASE OF A TOUCH AND GO, WHILE ANOTHER WAS TAXIING ACROSS THE SAME RWY DOWNFIELD. I CALLED THE TAXIING SMA X TO INITIALLY TRY TO STOP HIS MOVEMENT BUT THE ACFT WAS ALREADY WELL INTO XING THE RWY. I DECIDED AT THIS POINT TO JUST LET THE ACFT CONTINUE XING AS THEE WAS NO IMMEDIATE DANGER. THIS WAS MY FIRST DAY OF A NEW WORK WEEK, TAKING OVER ON A POSITION THAT I'D WORKED MANY, MANY TIMES BEFORE. IN RETROSPECT, I FEEL THAT COMPLACENCY AND LACK OF ATTN CONTRIBUTED TO THE RWY INCURSION. I MADE AN ASSUMPTION BASED ON PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE OF WHERE I THOUGHT THE ACFT TO CROSS THE RWY WOULD BE, INSTEAD OF TAKING THE TIME TO MAKE SURE. ALSO, I SORT OF HURRIED INTO THE POSITION RELIEF BRIEFING, IN ORDER TO ASSUME THE OPERATING POSITION AND GET ON WITH MY WORK WEEK.

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.