Narrative:

Runway 7 was active and I was working tower local control. The ground controller asked me if I would accept a departure from runway 13 and I approved it. According to our local directives, runway 13 immediately became 'hot' and ground control could no longer cross this runway without coordination. When the aircraft called for departure from runway 13, I scanned the runway. It was clear and I cleared him for takeoff. There were no aircraft visible to me on or near runway 13. Shortly after this I heard his engine power down and knew he was aborting takeoff. As he slowed to almost a stop I told him to exit the runway and contact ground, it was at this time that I realized he aborted because another aircraft was crossing the runway in front of him. The ground controller had given an aircraft permission to cross runway 13 prior to it becoming active and forgot to amend his clearance to hold short as he should have. The crossing aircraft did not have a landing light on and was not easily seen on the taxiway. Both aircraft were single engine cessnas. Supplemental information from acn 280359: uga B, a C172, had requested to taxi from the west ramp to the base of the tower which requires a crossing of runway 13. Shortly after uga B had begun his taxi air carrier a, a C210, requested taxi for departure VFR to the east. Though runway 7 was in use air carrier a requested to use runway 13. I received approval from local control for use of runway 13 for a departure. I then taxied air carrier a to runway 13 and failed to hold uga B short of runway 13. Air carrier a received permission for takeoff and had begun departure roll and immediately aborted his takeoff roll as uga B was crossing runway 13 at taxiway 'F.' uga B finished crossing the runway, air carrier a taxied back to runway 13 and departed without further delay or incident. In my opinion the incident occurred because of my complacency and virtually no traffic at the time. I do not believe that visual aids will help in low traffic sits as this. It just takes being more aware of the situation and less complacency on my part as a ground controller.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: OPERROR - ACR A ABORTED TKOF DUE TO UGA B XING THE RWY.

Narrative: RWY 7 WAS ACTIVE AND I WAS WORKING TWR LCL CTL. THE GND CTLR ASKED ME IF I WOULD ACCEPT A DEP FROM RWY 13 AND I APPROVED IT. ACCORDING TO OUR LCL DIRECTIVES, RWY 13 IMMEDIATELY BECAME 'HOT' AND GND CTL COULD NO LONGER CROSS THIS RWY WITHOUT COORD. WHEN THE ACFT CALLED FOR DEP FROM RWY 13, I SCANNED THE RWY. IT WAS CLR AND I CLRED HIM FOR TKOF. THERE WERE NO ACFT VISIBLE TO ME ON OR NEAR RWY 13. SHORTLY AFTER THIS I HEARD HIS ENG PWR DOWN AND KNEW HE WAS ABORTING TKOF. AS HE SLOWED TO ALMOST A STOP I TOLD HIM TO EXIT THE RWY AND CONTACT GND, IT WAS AT THIS TIME THAT I REALIZED HE ABORTED BECAUSE ANOTHER ACFT WAS XING THE RWY IN FRONT OF HIM. THE GND CTLR HAD GIVEN AN ACFT PERMISSION TO CROSS RWY 13 PRIOR TO IT BECOMING ACTIVE AND FORGOT TO AMEND HIS CLRNC TO HOLD SHORT AS HE SHOULD HAVE. THE XING ACFT DID NOT HAVE A LNDG LIGHT ON AND WAS NOT EASILY SEEN ON THE TXWY. BOTH ACFT WERE SINGLE ENG CESSNAS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 280359: UGA B, A C172, HAD REQUESTED TO TAXI FROM THE W RAMP TO THE BASE OF THE TWR WHICH REQUIRES A XING OF RWY 13. SHORTLY AFTER UGA B HAD BEGUN HIS TAXI ACR A, A C210, REQUESTED TAXI FOR DEP VFR TO THE E. THOUGH RWY 7 WAS IN USE ACR A REQUESTED TO USE RWY 13. I RECEIVED APPROVAL FROM LCL CTL FOR USE OF RWY 13 FOR A DEP. I THEN TAXIED ACR A TO RWY 13 AND FAILED TO HOLD UGA B SHORT OF RWY 13. ACR A RECEIVED PERMISSION FOR TKOF AND HAD BEGUN DEP ROLL AND IMMEDIATELY ABORTED HIS TKOF ROLL AS UGA B WAS XING RWY 13 AT TXWY 'F.' UGA B FINISHED XING THE RWY, ACR A TAXIED BACK TO RWY 13 AND DEPARTED WITHOUT FURTHER DELAY OR INCIDENT. IN MY OPINION THE INCIDENT OCCURRED BECAUSE OF MY COMPLACENCY AND VIRTUALLY NO TFC AT THE TIME. I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT VISUAL AIDS WILL HELP IN LOW TFC SITS AS THIS. IT JUST TAKES BEING MORE AWARE OF THE SIT AND LESS COMPLACENCY ON MY PART AS A GND CTLR.

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.