Narrative:

I was working local control at atlanta hartsifeld approach. The visibility was 1000' RVR, but the ground was not visible from the tower cabin attendant. I was working traffic via the asde. Asde targets all morning had been intermittent and maintenance had been notified twice to see if they could 'peak' up the radar. Large transport Y had landed on runway 8L and was instructed to hold short of runway 8R. Medium large transport X was taxied into position on runway 8R. I waited for another air carrier to T/D on runway 8L (via the asde) and I then cleared medium large transport X for takeoff on runway 8R. After observing medium large transport X pass the intersection large transport Y was holding at, I instructed large transport Y to cross runway 8R (36 seconds after clearing medium large transport X for takeoff). Large transport Y questioned the clearance stating that there was an airplane on the runway and he did not enter the runway. After large transport Y questioned the clearance, I checked the asde and did not see a target on the runway, but I did observe medium large transport X on the BRITE radar at 300' AGL. All other work habits I have, indicated medium large transport X was past the intersection, but the pilot of medium large transport X confirmed he was not past the intersection. We have had problems with our asde radar getting both consistent targets on aircraft in certain locations and also 'jumping' for no apparent reason. Supplemental information from acn 165662. After receiving takeoff clearance (atl) runway 8R, we were just prior to J1 when tower (119.5) gave an large transport Y clearance to cross runway 8R. We looked down the runway and just then saw an large transport Y on the left side at taxiway 'C' that appeared stopped short of the runway. We rotated and was airborne as we passed in front of the large transport Y. I asked the tower if they knew about the aircraft on takeoff. They stated that the aircraft had already passed taxiway 'C' before crossing clearance was given. They replied that was not correct. We also stated that was not correct before changing to departure control and continued to destination. Supplemental information from acn 165495. We rotated normally and passed abeam the other aircraft about 50' AGL. It appeared to me that he was still on the safe side of the hold short line when we went by him. Supplemental information from acn 166117. As I approached the runway, the medium large transport X appeared out of the fog directly in front of my aircraft. I applied hard braking and reverse, stopping my aircraft about 75' from the edge of runway 08R. I questioned the controller as to why he cleared me to cross with traffic still on takeoff roll. He told me he could not see either of us but was relying on his radar. He further advised me that he had seen an aircraft pass my position and considered the runway to be clear for me to cross. It is my feeling that he associated the radar track of the aircraft that landed behind me with what he expected to see from the aircraft he had cleared for takeoff. Fortunately, there was no collision. However, there was no procedure or device operating in those last seconds that could have prevented a collision.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CTLR CLEARED LGT TO CROSS ACTIVE RWY BEFORE MLG DEP HAD PASSED THE LGT POSITION. RESTRICTED VISIBILITY AND ASDE PROBLEM.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING LCL CTL AT ATLANTA HARTSIFELD APCH. THE VISIBILITY WAS 1000' RVR, BUT THE GND WAS NOT VISIBLE FROM THE TWR CAB. I WAS WORKING TFC VIA THE ASDE. ASDE TARGETS ALL MORNING HAD BEEN INTERMITTENT AND MAINT HAD BEEN NOTIFIED TWICE TO SEE IF THEY COULD 'PEAK' UP THE RADAR. LGT Y HAD LANDED ON RWY 8L AND WAS INSTRUCTED TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 8R. MLG X WAS TAXIED INTO POS ON RWY 8R. I WAITED FOR ANOTHER ACR TO T/D ON RWY 8L (VIA THE ASDE) AND I THEN CLRED MLG X FOR TKOF ON RWY 8R. AFTER OBSERVING MLG X PASS THE INTXN LGT Y WAS HOLDING AT, I INSTRUCTED LGT Y TO CROSS RWY 8R (36 SECS AFTER CLRING MLG X FOR TKOF). LGT Y QUESTIONED THE CLRNC STATING THAT THERE WAS AN AIRPLANE ON THE RWY AND HE DID NOT ENTER THE RWY. AFTER LGT Y QUESTIONED THE CLRNC, I CHKED THE ASDE AND DID NOT SEE A TARGET ON THE RWY, BUT I DID OBSERVE MLG X ON THE BRITE RADAR AT 300' AGL. ALL OTHER WORK HABITS I HAVE, INDICATED MLG X WAS PAST THE INTXN, BUT THE PLT OF MLG X CONFIRMED HE WAS NOT PAST THE INTXN. WE HAVE HAD PROBS WITH OUR ASDE RADAR GETTING BOTH CONSISTENT TARGETS ON ACFT IN CERTAIN LOCATIONS AND ALSO 'JUMPING' FOR NO APPARENT REASON. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 165662. AFTER RECEIVING TKOF CLRNC (ATL) RWY 8R, WE WERE JUST PRIOR TO J1 WHEN TWR (119.5) GAVE AN LGT Y CLRNC TO CROSS RWY 8R. WE LOOKED DOWN THE RWY AND JUST THEN SAW AN LGT Y ON THE L SIDE AT TXWY 'C' THAT APPEARED STOPPED SHORT OF THE RWY. WE ROTATED AND WAS AIRBORNE AS WE PASSED IN FRONT OF THE LGT Y. I ASKED THE TWR IF THEY KNEW ABOUT THE ACFT ON TKOF. THEY STATED THAT THE ACFT HAD ALREADY PASSED TXWY 'C' BEFORE XING CLRNC WAS GIVEN. THEY REPLIED THAT WAS NOT CORRECT. WE ALSO STATED THAT WAS NOT CORRECT BEFORE CHANGING TO DEP CTL AND CONTINUED TO DEST. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 165495. WE ROTATED NORMALLY AND PASSED ABEAM THE OTHER ACFT ABOUT 50' AGL. IT APPEARED TO ME THAT HE WAS STILL ON THE SAFE SIDE OF THE HOLD SHORT LINE WHEN WE WENT BY HIM. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 166117. AS I APCHED THE RWY, THE MLG X APPEARED OUT OF THE FOG DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF MY ACFT. I APPLIED HARD BRAKING AND REVERSE, STOPPING MY ACFT ABOUT 75' FROM THE EDGE OF RWY 08R. I QUESTIONED THE CTLR AS TO WHY HE CLRED ME TO CROSS WITH TFC STILL ON TKOF ROLL. HE TOLD ME HE COULD NOT SEE EITHER OF US BUT WAS RELYING ON HIS RADAR. HE FURTHER ADVISED ME THAT HE HAD SEEN AN ACFT PASS MY POS AND CONSIDERED THE RWY TO BE CLR FOR ME TO CROSS. IT IS MY FEELING THAT HE ASSOCIATED THE RADAR TRACK OF THE ACFT THAT LANDED BEHIND ME WITH WHAT HE EXPECTED TO SEE FROM THE ACFT HE HAD CLRED FOR TKOF. FORTUNATELY, THERE WAS NO COLLISION. HOWEVER, THERE WAS NO PROC OR DEVICE OPERATING IN THOSE LAST SECS THAT COULD HAVE PREVENTED A COLLISION.

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.