Aircraft departed over the top of a previous arriving aircraft.

Attributes
ACN	152012
Time
Date	199007
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : jfk
State Reference	NY
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zid
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody, Low Wing, 4 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller military : 4 controller radar : 3
ASRS Report	152012
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical non adherence : required legal separation non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : investigated
Miss Distance	vertical : 100
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error

Narrative:

I cleared a light transport for immediate takeoff on runway 31R, traffic an medium large transport on short final. When I instructed light transport to contact ny departure the pilot informed me that the previous arrival widebody transport was still on the runway and that he departed over the aircraft. I was under the impression that the widebody transport had called me departing the runway to the left and implemented anticipated sep. On further review of the recording I realized that the widebody transport was indicating the direction that he would be taxiing off the runway, not that he was leaving the runway. Contributing factors: visibility at the end of runway 31R at jfk is poor. Aircraft tend to blend in with surroundings at night. There are highway lights and other lighting off the airport that contribute to this. Also the local control asde at jfk is more often then not unusable despite being logged OTS numerous times.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT DEPARTED OVER THE TOP OF A PREVIOUS ARRIVING ACFT.

Narrative: I CLRED A LTT FOR IMMEDIATE TKOF ON RWY 31R, TFC AN MLG ON SHORT FINAL. WHEN I INSTRUCTED LTT TO CONTACT NY DEP THE PLT INFORMED ME THAT THE PREVIOUS ARR WDB WAS STILL ON THE RWY AND THAT HE DEPARTED OVER THE ACFT. I WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT THE WDB HAD CALLED ME DEPARTING THE RWY TO THE LEFT AND IMPLEMENTED ANTICIPATED SEP. ON FURTHER REVIEW OF THE RECORDING I REALIZED THAT THE WDB WAS INDICATING THE DIRECTION THAT HE WOULD BE TAXIING OFF THE RWY, NOT THAT HE WAS LEAVING THE RWY. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: VISIBILITY AT THE END OF RWY 31R AT JFK IS POOR. ACFT TEND TO BLEND IN WITH SURROUNDINGS AT NIGHT. THERE ARE HWY LIGHTS AND OTHER LIGHTING OFF THE ARPT THAT CONTRIBUTE TO THIS. ALSO THE LCL CTL ASDE AT JFK IS MORE OFTEN THEN NOT UNUSABLE DESPITE BEING LOGGED OTS NUMEROUS TIMES.

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.