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Controller working in tower with all position combined for lunch period, became very busy with traffic. A PA28 in the traffic pattern was cleared for the option on runway 13. A short time later, the controller clears an aircraft for takeoff on runway 8. The PA28 pilot on the option apparently saw the mistake and stopped on the runway short of runway 8.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 411198 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199808 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : lns |
| State Reference | PA |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : phl |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | PA-28 Cherokee/Archer II/Dakota/Pillan/Warrior |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | landing other |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : takeoff |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : flight data controller : local controller : ground |
| Qualification | controller : non radar |
| Experience | controller military : 6 controller non radar : 19 controller supervisory : 2 |
| ASRS Report | 411198 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : ground less severe other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Operational Error |
Narrative:
We had just combined position for lunch breaks. Things were pretty routine, then suddenly it all hit. Departures, arrs with bad radios, and IFR departures with no flight plans. I had 1 aircraft (PA28) in the pattern. While trying to get a flight plan in for one aircraft, I had a departure delay for another from ZNY. Basically, numerous distrs! I didn't have time to go to headset to split the position aurally (1 in ear, 1 on speaker). Subsequently, while working through the barrage, I cleared an aircraft for takeoff runway 8, with the cherokee on final runway 13 cleared for the option. When the aircraft off runway 8 was airborne, the cherokee asked me if I had not cleared him for the option. It was at this time that I saw the PA28 on runway 13, holding short of runway 8. I acknowledged the mistake and apologized to the PA28. To prevent a recurrence, I would change 3 things in the scenario: 1) I wouldn't attempt to put the flight plan in. 2) as busy as I was, I should've suspended the pattern traffic for a while. And 3) I should've had my headset at hand. But above all of that, I should've done a better scan when I cleared the aircraft for takeoff on runway 8.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: CTLR WORKING IN TWR WITH ALL POS COMBINED FOR LUNCH PERIOD, BECAME VERY BUSY WITH TFC. A PA28 IN THE TFC PATTERN WAS CLRED FOR THE OPTION ON RWY 13. A SHORT TIME LATER, THE CTLR CLRS AN ACFT FOR TKOF ON RWY 8. THE PA28 PLT ON THE OPTION APPARENTLY SAW THE MISTAKE AND STOPPED ON THE RWY SHORT OF RWY 8.
Narrative: WE HAD JUST COMBINED POS FOR LUNCH BREAKS. THINGS WERE PRETTY ROUTINE, THEN SUDDENLY IT ALL HIT. DEPS, ARRS WITH BAD RADIOS, AND IFR DEPS WITH NO FLT PLANS. I HAD 1 ACFT (PA28) IN THE PATTERN. WHILE TRYING TO GET A FLT PLAN IN FOR ONE ACFT, I HAD A DEP DELAY FOR ANOTHER FROM ZNY. BASICALLY, NUMEROUS DISTRS! I DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO GO TO HEADSET TO SPLIT THE POS AURALLY (1 IN EAR, 1 ON SPEAKER). SUBSEQUENTLY, WHILE WORKING THROUGH THE BARRAGE, I CLRED AN ACFT FOR TKOF RWY 8, WITH THE CHEROKEE ON FINAL RWY 13 CLRED FOR THE OPTION. WHEN THE ACFT OFF RWY 8 WAS AIRBORNE, THE CHEROKEE ASKED ME IF I HAD NOT CLRED HIM FOR THE OPTION. IT WAS AT THIS TIME THAT I SAW THE PA28 ON RWY 13, HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 8. I ACKNOWLEDGED THE MISTAKE AND APOLOGIZED TO THE PA28. TO PREVENT A RECURRENCE, I WOULD CHANGE 3 THINGS IN THE SCENARIO: 1) I WOULDN'T ATTEMPT TO PUT THE FLT PLAN IN. 2) AS BUSY AS I WAS, I SHOULD'VE SUSPENDED THE PATTERN TFC FOR A WHILE. AND 3) I SHOULD'VE HAD MY HEADSET AT HAND. BUT ABOVE ALL OF THAT, I SHOULD'VE DONE A BETTER SCAN WHEN I CLRED THE ACFT FOR TKOF ON RWY 8.
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.