Narrative:

Runway 7 was in use at phf. Runway 2 belonged to ground control so that aircraft could be taxied to runway 7 via runway 2. This was required due to construction on taxiway C. Small aircraft X called tower for departure on runway 7 while taxiing on runway 2. The tower controller cleared the aircraft for takeoff on runway 2, though this was not his runway and ground control had aircraft cleared to taxi on it. An aircraft, small aircraft Y saw the aircraft departing and held just short of the runway (runway 2) and told ground control. After small aircraft X was airborne, the tower controller started yelling that he had departed the wrong runway. The pilot correctly said that he was cleared for takeoff on runway 2 and that is what he had read back. The tower controller then told me that he had cleared him for takeoff on runway 7. I told the tower controller that if the aircraft had been cleared for takeoff on runway 7, but read back runway 2, then it would be a pilot deviation with the controller a contributing factor for not catching the faulty readback. I added that if the controller had said runway 2, it was an operational error. (This is what happened.) ground collision would have been involved if the pilot of small aircraft Y had not held just short of the runway on his own. Supplemental information from acn 183655: small aircraft X repeated runway 2 intersection departure takeoff clearance, made 180 degree turn and began takeoff roll. Small aircraft Y was still on taxiway alpha and was past the hold line when he questioned ground control as to whether small aircraft X was in taxi or takeoff roll. The ground controller issued hold short instructions and advised small aircraft Y to contact tower on alpha. Collision was imminent. If not for small aircraft Y awareness the aircraft would have hit on the runway. Supplemental information from acn 183659: small aircraft X called the local controller for takeoff. A clearance for takeoff on runway 2 was issued to small aircraft X by mistake and the controller did not hear the pilot repeat the clearance back to the tower. Started takeoff roll and departed. Had been cleared to runway 7 via runway 20 and was held short of runway 2 for the departing aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LCL CTLR TECHNIQUE ATC COM CLRED SMA X FOR TKOF ON WRONG RWY HAD GND CONFLICT WITH SMA Y. OPDEV.

Narrative: RWY 7 WAS IN USE AT PHF. RWY 2 BELONGED TO GND CTL SO THAT ACFT COULD BE TAXIED TO RWY 7 VIA RWY 2. THIS WAS REQUIRED DUE TO CONSTRUCTION ON TAXIWAY C. SMA X CALLED TWR FOR DEP ON RWY 7 WHILE TAXIING ON RWY 2. THE TWR CTLR CLRED THE ACFT FOR TKOF ON RWY 2, THOUGH THIS WAS NOT HIS RWY AND GND CTL HAD ACFT CLRED TO TAXI ON IT. AN ACFT, SMA Y SAW THE ACFT DEPARTING AND HELD JUST SHORT OF THE RWY (RWY 2) AND TOLD GND CTL. AFTER SMA X WAS AIRBORNE, THE TWR CTLR STARTED YELLING THAT HE HAD DEPARTED THE WRONG RWY. THE PLT CORRECTLY SAID THAT HE WAS CLRED FOR TKOF ON RWY 2 AND THAT IS WHAT HE HAD READ BACK. THE TWR CTLR THEN TOLD ME THAT HE HAD CLRED HIM FOR TKOF ON RWY 7. I TOLD THE TWR CTLR THAT IF THE ACFT HAD BEEN CLRED FOR TKOF ON RWY 7, BUT READ BACK RWY 2, THEN IT WOULD BE A PLTDEV WITH THE CTLR A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR FOR NOT CATCHING THE FAULTY READBACK. I ADDED THAT IF THE CTLR HAD SAID RWY 2, IT WAS AN OPERROR. (THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED.) GND COLLISION WOULD HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IF THE PLT OF SMA Y HAD NOT HELD JUST SHORT OF THE RWY ON HIS OWN. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 183655: SMA X REPEATED RWY 2 INTXN DEP TKOF CLRNC, MADE 180 DEG TURN AND BEGAN TKOF ROLL. SMA Y WAS STILL ON TAXIWAY ALPHA AND WAS PAST THE HOLD LINE WHEN HE QUESTIONED GND CTL AS TO WHETHER SMA X WAS IN TAXI OR TKOF ROLL. THE GND CTLR ISSUED HOLD SHORT INSTRUCTIONS AND ADVISED SMA Y TO CONTACT TWR ON ALPHA. COLLISION WAS IMMINENT. IF NOT FOR SMA Y AWARENESS THE ACFT WOULD HAVE HIT ON THE RWY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 183659: SMA X CALLED THE LCL CTLR FOR TKOF. A CLRNC FOR TKOF ON RWY 2 WAS ISSUED TO SMA X BY MISTAKE AND THE CTLR DID NOT HEAR THE PLT REPEAT THE CLRNC BACK TO THE TWR. STARTED TKOF ROLL AND DEPARTED. HAD BEEN CLRED TO RWY 7 VIA RWY 20 AND WAS HELD SHORT OF RWY 2 FOR THE DEPARTING ACFT.

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.