Narrative:

A king air was taxiing outbound from FBO. He was instructed to 'taxi runway 23R, cross runway 23L at taxiway A6.' the aircraft taxied across runway 23L as instructed and then continued via taxiway B5 out into the middle of runway 23R at taxiway B5. They taxied just behind a clearing baron and out in front of a DC9 that was in position awaiting the baron to clear. The only thing that saved it was that I was working both ground and local and I observed the king air's taxi speed to be too fast. The king air entered the runway just as I opened the microphone to clear the DC9 for takeoff. If the control tower would have been of a sufficient ht for me to see this sooner, I could have intervened and kept the plane from entering the runway. However, I could not tell if the plane was going to enter the runway until it was too late to stop it due to the shortness of the tower. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that it is difficult to clearly see traffic across the field from the tower, especially at night. Taxiway A6, for example, is directly across the runways from the tower location. It is difficult to determine if aircraft on taxiway A6 are holding short or moving. The east side of the field is littered with lights making it more difficult to discern buildings and vehicles from aircraft during night operations. The present tower structure was constructed in 1988 and the reporter believes future airport expansion was not seriously considered at the time. He also said there have been quite a few runway incursions at tys that might have been prevented if the tower was taller.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT IN BE90 AT TYS INSTRUCTED TO CROSS RWY 23L AND TAXI TO RWY 23R. PLT TAXIED ONTO RWY 23R IN FRONT OF A DC9 PREPARING TO DEPART.

Narrative: A KING AIR WAS TAXIING OUTBOUND FROM FBO. HE WAS INSTRUCTED TO 'TAXI RWY 23R, CROSS RWY 23L AT TXWY A6.' THE ACFT TAXIED ACROSS RWY 23L AS INSTRUCTED AND THEN CONTINUED VIA TXWY B5 OUT INTO THE MIDDLE OF RWY 23R AT TXWY B5. THEY TAXIED JUST BEHIND A CLRING BARON AND OUT IN FRONT OF A DC9 THAT WAS IN POS AWAITING THE BARON TO CLR. THE ONLY THING THAT SAVED IT WAS THAT I WAS WORKING BOTH GND AND LCL AND I OBSERVED THE KING AIR'S TAXI SPD TO BE TOO FAST. THE KING AIR ENTERED THE RWY JUST AS I OPENED THE MIKE TO CLR THE DC9 FOR TKOF. IF THE CTL TWR WOULD HAVE BEEN OF A SUFFICIENT HT FOR ME TO SEE THIS SOONER, I COULD HAVE INTERVENED AND KEPT THE PLANE FROM ENTERING THE RWY. HOWEVER, I COULD NOT TELL IF THE PLANE WAS GOING TO ENTER THE RWY UNTIL IT WAS TOO LATE TO STOP IT DUE TO THE SHORTNESS OF THE TWR. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT IT IS DIFFICULT TO CLRLY SEE TFC ACROSS THE FIELD FROM THE TWR, ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT. TXWY A6, FOR EXAMPLE, IS DIRECTLY ACROSS THE RWYS FROM THE TWR LOCATION. IT IS DIFFICULT TO DETERMINE IF ACFT ON TXWY A6 ARE HOLDING SHORT OR MOVING. THE E SIDE OF THE FIELD IS LITTERED WITH LIGHTS MAKING IT MORE DIFFICULT TO DISCERN BUILDINGS AND VEHICLES FROM ACFT DURING NIGHT OPS. THE PRESENT TWR STRUCTURE WAS CONSTRUCTED IN 1988 AND THE RPTR BELIEVES FUTURE ARPT EXPANSION WAS NOT SERIOUSLY CONSIDERED AT THE TIME. HE ALSO SAID THERE HAVE BEEN QUITE A FEW RWY INCURSIONS AT TYS THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN PREVENTED IF THE TWR WAS TALLER.

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.