Narrative:

Runway 35 is closed for construction and has been closed for over a month. Other available runways are 32L and 32R. Tower is equipped with a runway incursion device (rid). The light portion of rid works but the aural portion is temporarily OTS. Thus, the flashing red light is activated constantly because runway 35 is closed. Subsequently local control authorizes an airport vehicle to drive runway 32R. Now, since the aural alarm does not work, a controller that has become accustomed to hearing an aural alarm to keep thought processes when a runway is occupied is not necessarily alerted. This scenario happened to me but fortunately I saw the airport vehicle exit the runway, thereby preventing at minimum any go around to the small transport that was circling to runway 32R or more importantly any possible accident. Clearance delivery was combined at ground control. The ground controller was making an ATIS when this scenario was occurring. Corrective action: if the aural portion of rid is OTS, discontinue its use entirely, and revert back to previously used aids such as magnetic signs on BRITE, etc, to distinguish when a runway is not usable. The visual portion of rid could be used, however, only when in conjunction with other aids mentioned earlier. In any case, I don't think using the rid by itself when the aural portion is OTS is a wise procedure.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CTLR STATES THAT RWY INCURSION DEVICE (RID) DOES NOT WARN THE CTLR WHEN AN ACFT OR VEHICLE IS ON THE RWY.

Narrative: RWY 35 IS CLOSED FOR CONSTRUCTION AND HAS BEEN CLOSED FOR OVER A MONTH. OTHER AVAILABLE RWYS ARE 32L AND 32R. TWR IS EQUIPPED WITH A RWY INCURSION DEVICE (RID). THE LIGHT PORTION OF RID WORKS BUT THE AURAL PORTION IS TEMPORARILY OTS. THUS, THE FLASHING RED LIGHT IS ACTIVATED CONSTANTLY BECAUSE RWY 35 IS CLOSED. SUBSEQUENTLY LCL CTL AUTHORIZES AN ARPT VEHICLE TO DRIVE RWY 32R. NOW, SINCE THE AURAL ALARM DOES NOT WORK, A CTLR THAT HAS BECOME ACCUSTOMED TO HEARING AN AURAL ALARM TO KEEP THOUGHT PROCESSES WHEN A RWY IS OCCUPIED IS NOT NECESSARILY ALERTED. THIS SCENARIO HAPPENED TO ME BUT FORTUNATELY I SAW THE ARPT VEHICLE EXIT THE RWY, THEREBY PREVENTING AT MINIMUM ANY GAR TO THE SMT THAT WAS CIRCLING TO RWY 32R OR MORE IMPORTANTLY ANY POSSIBLE ACCIDENT. CLRNC DELIVERY WAS COMBINED AT GND CTL. THE GND CTLR WAS MAKING AN ATIS WHEN THIS SCENARIO WAS OCCURRING. CORRECTIVE ACTION: IF THE AURAL PORTION OF RID IS OTS, DISCONTINUE ITS USE ENTIRELY, AND REVERT BACK TO PREVIOUSLY USED AIDS SUCH AS MAGNETIC SIGNS ON BRITE, ETC, TO DISTINGUISH WHEN A RWY IS NOT USABLE. THE VISUAL PORTION OF RID COULD BE USED, HOWEVER, ONLY WHEN IN CONJUNCTION WITH OTHER AIDS MENTIONED EARLIER. IN ANY CASE, I DON'T THINK USING THE RID BY ITSELF WHEN THE AURAL PORTION IS OTS IS A WISE PROC.

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.