Narrative:

Situation occurred during late evening approximately XX00 local time. I was working local control at bur tower during a very busy session. An small aircraft X was inbound runway 15. The small aircraft X had been cleared to land, and to hold short of runway 8 (the intersecting runway) for departing traffic. I observed the small aircraft X touching down over the #'south on runway 15. About 5 or 10 seconds later an small aircraft Y at intersection B2 called ready for departure. I scanned the runway and did not see the small aircraft X and assumed he had exited the runway into parking. I then put the small aircraft Y into position on runway 15. A few seconds later I heard an aircraft ask who had taxied an aircraft in front of him. I looked again and saw the small aircraft X stopped on the runway alongside the small aircraft Y holding in position. The small aircraft X had not exited the runway, but was still rolling out on the runway when I put the small aircraft Y in position. The error was caused by the inability to see the small aircraft X rolling out on the runway. The sun was low in the sky and shining directly into the tower cabin into the faces of all working in the tower. Also, the tower has sunshades on all the windows and the shades were pulled all the way down completely covering all windows. The shades are very dark, and have a lot of glare, so they are very difficult to see through when the sun is low. In addition the shades are cleaned infrequently, are very dirty and this makes them more difficult to see through. I feel this error could have been avoided if the shades were cleaned weekly on a regular basis, or not used at all. In their present condition, they cause a very unsafe situation for visibility under certain lighting conditions. Another thing making it harder to see is distance. The small aircraft X was landing at the north end of runway 15, and the tower is at the south end of runway 15 over 1 mi away.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACFT TAXIED INTO POSITION ON A RWY THAT AN ACFT WAS LNDG.

Narrative: SITUATION OCCURRED DURING LATE EVENING APPROX XX00 LCL TIME. I WAS WORKING LCL CTL AT BUR TWR DURING A VERY BUSY SESSION. AN SMA X WAS INBND RWY 15. THE SMA X HAD BEEN CLRED TO LAND, AND TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 8 (THE INTERSECTING RWY) FOR DEPARTING TFC. I OBSERVED THE SMA X TOUCHING DOWN OVER THE #'S ON RWY 15. ABOUT 5 OR 10 SECS LATER AN SMA Y AT INTXN B2 CALLED READY FOR DEP. I SCANNED THE RWY AND DID NOT SEE THE SMA X AND ASSUMED HE HAD EXITED THE RWY INTO PARKING. I THEN PUT THE SMA Y INTO POS ON RWY 15. A FEW SECS LATER I HEARD AN ACFT ASK WHO HAD TAXIED AN ACFT IN FRONT OF HIM. I LOOKED AGAIN AND SAW THE SMA X STOPPED ON THE RWY ALONGSIDE THE SMA Y HOLDING IN POS. THE SMA X HAD NOT EXITED THE RWY, BUT WAS STILL ROLLING OUT ON THE RWY WHEN I PUT THE SMA Y IN POS. THE ERROR WAS CAUSED BY THE INABILITY TO SEE THE SMA X ROLLING OUT ON THE RWY. THE SUN WAS LOW IN THE SKY AND SHINING DIRECTLY INTO THE TWR CABIN INTO THE FACES OF ALL WORKING IN THE TWR. ALSO, THE TWR HAS SUNSHADES ON ALL THE WINDOWS AND THE SHADES WERE PULLED ALL THE WAY DOWN COMPLETELY COVERING ALL WINDOWS. THE SHADES ARE VERY DARK, AND HAVE A LOT OF GLARE, SO THEY ARE VERY DIFFICULT TO SEE THROUGH WHEN THE SUN IS LOW. IN ADDITION THE SHADES ARE CLEANED INFREQUENTLY, ARE VERY DIRTY AND THIS MAKES THEM MORE DIFFICULT TO SEE THROUGH. I FEEL THIS ERROR COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF THE SHADES WERE CLEANED WEEKLY ON A REGULAR BASIS, OR NOT USED AT ALL. IN THEIR PRESENT CONDITION, THEY CAUSE A VERY UNSAFE SITUATION FOR VISIBILITY UNDER CERTAIN LIGHTING CONDITIONS. ANOTHER THING MAKING IT HARDER TO SEE IS DISTANCE. THE SMA X WAS LNDG AT THE N END OF RWY 15, AND THE TWR IS AT THE S END OF RWY 15 OVER 1 MI AWAY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.