Narrative:

I was assigned duties of controller in charge while a supervisor worked the local control position. Traffic density, as expected, was heavy-evening rush-the airport is half closed due to major construction. Myself and the supervisor were the only qualified persons available to work the local control position. Runway confign was departing runway 28, landing runway 23L. Some aircraft required runway 23L for departure due to aircraft weight and runway length. An medium large transport X was instructed to taxi across runway 28 and hold short of runway 23R for landing traffic. Almost simultaneously an light transport Y, already in position on runway 28 was cleared for immediate takeoff on runway 28, a dead tie at the intersection. What caused this incident? I don't know! But if a formal investigation was ever conducted I am confident that the following would become 'contributing factors': staffing, only one controller certified to work a position being assigned to the facility during an entire shift. This compounded by this controller being assigned duties of 'answering the the telephone' during the 'rush'. Justification...no overtime funds are available. Airport construction making operations extremely difficult. Local control attitude (I've experienced this) to move a backlog of aircraft away from the airport. This incident was purely human error. I can not provide accurate information as to what caused this to happen. I am not a professional investigator, nor a psychologist, nor an expert, but I do know what makes my body shake harder than a richter scale. For certain I am sure as to what prevented a major disaster, the flight crew of the commuter aircraft, instructed to make an immediate takeoff operated in a 'heads-up/aware manner'. Either the flight crew heard instructions to, or saw the eminent confliction with the medium large transport X crossing his runway downfield. I hold no grudge and am not a 'snitch'. I intend this form be held in strictest confidence.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT TAXIED ACROSS RWY WHILE ANOTHER ACFT WAS TAKING OFF. DEP ACFT ABORTED TKOF.

Narrative: I WAS ASSIGNED DUTIES OF CTLR IN CHARGE WHILE A SUPVR WORKED THE LCL CTL POS. TFC DENSITY, AS EXPECTED, WAS HVY-EVENING RUSH-THE ARPT IS HALF CLOSED DUE TO MAJOR CONSTRUCTION. MYSELF AND THE SUPVR WERE THE ONLY QUALIFIED PERSONS AVAILABLE TO WORK THE LCL CTL POS. RWY CONFIGN WAS DEPARTING RWY 28, LNDG RWY 23L. SOME ACFT REQUIRED RWY 23L FOR DEP DUE TO ACFT WEIGHT AND RWY LENGTH. AN MLG X WAS INSTRUCTED TO TAXI ACROSS RWY 28 AND HOLD SHORT OF RWY 23R FOR LNDG TFC. ALMOST SIMULTANEOUSLY AN LTT Y, ALREADY IN POS ON RWY 28 WAS CLRED FOR IMMEDIATE TKOF ON RWY 28, A DEAD TIE AT THE INTXN. WHAT CAUSED THIS INCIDENT? I DON'T KNOW! BUT IF A FORMAL INVESTIGATION WAS EVER CONDUCTED I AM CONFIDENT THAT THE FOLLOWING WOULD BECOME 'CONTRIBUTING FACTORS': STAFFING, ONLY ONE CTLR CERTIFIED TO WORK A POS BEING ASSIGNED TO THE FAC DURING AN ENTIRE SHIFT. THIS COMPOUNDED BY THIS CTLR BEING ASSIGNED DUTIES OF 'ANSWERING THE THE TELEPHONE' DURING THE 'RUSH'. JUSTIFICATION...NO OVERTIME FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE. ARPT CONSTRUCTION MAKING OPS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT. LC ATTITUDE (I'VE EXPERIENCED THIS) TO MOVE A BACKLOG OF ACFT AWAY FROM THE ARPT. THIS INCIDENT WAS PURELY HUMAN ERROR. I CAN NOT PROVIDE ACCURATE INFO AS TO WHAT CAUSED THIS TO HAPPEN. I AM NOT A PROFESSIONAL INVESTIGATOR, NOR A PSYCHOLOGIST, NOR AN EXPERT, BUT I DO KNOW WHAT MAKES MY BODY SHAKE HARDER THAN A RICHTER SCALE. FOR CERTAIN I AM SURE AS TO WHAT PREVENTED A MAJOR DISASTER, THE FLT CREW OF THE COMMUTER ACFT, INSTRUCTED TO MAKE AN IMMEDIATE TKOF OPERATED IN A 'HEADS-UP/AWARE MANNER'. EITHER THE FLT CREW HEARD INSTRUCTIONS TO, OR SAW THE EMINENT CONFLICTION WITH THE MLG X XING HIS RWY DOWNFIELD. I HOLD NO GRUDGE AND AM NOT A 'SNITCH'. I INTEND THIS FORM BE HELD IN STRICTEST CONFIDENCE.

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.