Small transport cleared for takeoff with vehicle on the runway.

Attributes
ACN	249405
Time
Date	199307
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : gso
State Reference	NC
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 150
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : lga
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Recip Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller military : 4 controller radar : 5
ASRS Report	249405
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac conflict : ground critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 0 vertical : 150
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error

Narrative:

Vehicle was doing airport check. An small transport called ready for takeoff approaching runway 5 at K. I cleared the small transport for takeoff and observed the vehicle on taxiway B. The small transport departed and asked me if I knew there was a truck on the runway. I asked him if the truck was on the runway or taxiway and he said it was on the runway. The vehicle driver called and said that he was on the runway and a plane had taken off in front of him. I told the vehicle I thought he was on taxiway B, which was unlit. At the time of occurrence, there were heavy thunderstorms in the area causing aircraft to deviate. I'm not sure if the vehicle had been on taxiway B and come back on the runway or if it was just difficult to determine his location because of the taxiway lights being out. The vehicle driver was obviously not paying attention because he said nothing after I broadcast the takeoff clearance. I was also in the middle of counting traffic at the time. I believe that had there been 2 people assigned to the shift, this could have been avoided.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMT CLRED FOR TKOF WITH VEHICLE ON THE RWY.

Narrative: VEHICLE WAS DOING ARPT CHK. AN SMT CALLED READY FOR TKOF APCHING RWY 5 AT K. I CLRED THE SMT FOR TKOF AND OBSERVED THE VEHICLE ON TXWY B. THE SMT DEPARTED AND ASKED ME IF I KNEW THERE WAS A TRUCK ON THE RWY. I ASKED HIM IF THE TRUCK WAS ON THE RWY OR TXWY AND HE SAID IT WAS ON THE RWY. THE VEHICLE DRIVER CALLED AND SAID THAT HE WAS ON THE RWY AND A PLANE HAD TAKEN OFF IN FRONT OF HIM. I TOLD THE VEHICLE I THOUGHT HE WAS ON TXWY B, WHICH WAS UNLIT. AT THE TIME OF OCCURRENCE, THERE WERE HVY TSTMS IN THE AREA CAUSING ACFT TO DEVIATE. I'M NOT SURE IF THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN ON TXWY B AND COME BACK ON THE RWY OR IF IT WAS JUST DIFFICULT TO DETERMINE HIS LOCATION BECAUSE OF THE TXWY LIGHTS BEING OUT. THE VEHICLE DRIVER WAS OBVIOUSLY NOT PAYING ATTN BECAUSE HE SAID NOTHING AFTER I BROADCAST THE TKOF CLRNC. I WAS ALSO IN THE MIDDLE OF COUNTING TFC AT THE TIME. I BELIEVE THAT HAD THERE BEEN 2 PEOPLE ASSIGNED TO THE SHIFT, THIS COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED.

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.