Narrative:

The event described below occurred approximately 1 min after I was relieved from the local control position. A B757 was holding short of runway 28L on taxiway east, an MD80 had landed runway 28L and was rolling out as local control taxied a B737 into position and hold on runway 28L. Local control used the call sign of the B757, but meant to instruct the MD80 to exit the runway, hold short of the outer, contact ground. Local control cleared the B737 for takeoff. Both the MD80 and the B757 acknowledged and the B757 crossed runway 28L as the B737 began takeoff roll. The radar coordinator position was not staffed. Workload was moderate-heavy for local control/radar coordinator combined. The local controller had to write down all arrs, call off departures, to department controller and ensure accuracy of all departure strips in addition to his local control duties. Had the radar coordinator position been staffed, the incident very likely could have been avoided. The radar coordinator writes down arrival call signs, keeps track of the arrs holding between the runways, lines out call signs as aircraft are switched to ground control and monitors local control frequency to assist as necessary. In addition the pilot of the B757 crossed the active runway on the assumption that he had received clearance. The words 'taxi across' were never used by local control -- thus the pilot should have questioned the instructions. Supplemental information from acn 304653: after landing sfo runway 28R and holding short on taxiway east -- tower controller cleared us to cross runway 28L on the high speed to join the outer taxiway and switch to ground. After the captain applied taxi power to cross runway 28L, tower proceeded to clear a jet for takeoff on runway 28L also. By this time we were approximately 1/2 across runway 28L and continued our taxi. We had cleared the runway prior to the departing flight crossing our path (ie, no conflict). We commented after switching ground how unusual it was to have a 'clearance to cross' followed shortly after with a 'cleared for takeoff' command. We thought that it might be local SOP because of the distances involved. The departing jet could have held in position after hearing our clearance to cross, and question his 'cleared for takeoff' clearance with us on the runway -- we were on the same tower frequency.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757 CROSSED RWY IN FRONT OF B737 TKOF. LTSS. RWY INCURSION. SYS ERROR.

Narrative: THE EVENT DESCRIBED BELOW OCCURRED APPROX 1 MIN AFTER I WAS RELIEVED FROM THE LCL CTL POS. A B757 WAS HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 28L ON TXWY E, AN MD80 HAD LANDED RWY 28L AND WAS ROLLING OUT AS LCL CTL TAXIED A B737 INTO POS AND HOLD ON RWY 28L. LCL CTL USED THE CALL SIGN OF THE B757, BUT MEANT TO INSTRUCT THE MD80 TO EXIT THE RWY, HOLD SHORT OF THE OUTER, CONTACT GND. LCL CTL CLRED THE B737 FOR TKOF. BOTH THE MD80 AND THE B757 ACKNOWLEDGED AND THE B757 CROSSED RWY 28L AS THE B737 BEGAN TKOF ROLL. THE RADAR COORDINATOR POS WAS NOT STAFFED. WORKLOAD WAS MODERATE-HVY FOR LCL CTL/RADAR COORDINATOR COMBINED. THE LCL CTLR HAD TO WRITE DOWN ALL ARRS, CALL OFF DEPS, TO DEPT CTLR AND ENSURE ACCURACY OF ALL DEP STRIPS IN ADDITION TO HIS LCL CTL DUTIES. HAD THE RADAR COORDINATOR POS BEEN STAFFED, THE INCIDENT VERY LIKELY COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED. THE RADAR COORDINATOR WRITES DOWN ARR CALL SIGNS, KEEPS TRACK OF THE ARRS HOLDING BTWN THE RWYS, LINES OUT CALL SIGNS AS ACFT ARE SWITCHED TO GND CTL AND MONITORS LCL CTL FREQ TO ASSIST AS NECESSARY. IN ADDITION THE PLT OF THE B757 CROSSED THE ACTIVE RWY ON THE ASSUMPTION THAT HE HAD RECEIVED CLRNC. THE WORDS 'TAXI ACROSS' WERE NEVER USED BY LCL CTL -- THUS THE PLT SHOULD HAVE QUESTIONED THE INSTRUCTIONS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 304653: AFTER LNDG SFO RWY 28R AND HOLDING SHORT ON TXWY E -- TWR CTLR CLRED US TO CROSS RWY 28L ON THE HIGH SPD TO JOIN THE OUTER TXWY AND SWITCH TO GND. AFTER THE CAPT APPLIED TAXI PWR TO CROSS RWY 28L, TWR PROCEEDED TO CLR A JET FOR TKOF ON RWY 28L ALSO. BY THIS TIME WE WERE APPROX 1/2 ACROSS RWY 28L AND CONTINUED OUR TAXI. WE HAD CLRED THE RWY PRIOR TO THE DEPARTING FLT XING OUR PATH (IE, NO CONFLICT). WE COMMENTED AFTER SWITCHING GND HOW UNUSUAL IT WAS TO HAVE A 'CLRNC TO CROSS' FOLLOWED SHORTLY AFTER WITH A 'CLRED FOR TKOF' COMMAND. WE THOUGHT THAT IT MIGHT BE LCL SOP BECAUSE OF THE DISTANCES INVOLVED. THE DEPARTING JET COULD HAVE HELD IN POS AFTER HEARING OUR CLRNC TO CROSS, AND QUESTION HIS 'CLRED FOR TKOF' CLRNC WITH US ON THE RWY -- WE WERE ON THE SAME TWR FREQ.

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.