Narrative:

I was working the late night shift in the tower during a period of moderate traffic. The south complex of the airport was obscured from the tower by heavy ground fog. The north complex was clear with RVR of more than 6000 ft. Due to the WX and noise abatement, the inboard runway on the north complex was the only one in use for takeoff and landing. I issued taxi into position and hold instructions to an aircraft (aircraft X) awaiting departure as a previous arrival rolled out on the runway. I became distraction by ground control duties, in particular, by 2 aircraft with similar call signs who confused their taxi instructions. As I resolved the situation, an aircraft (aircraft Y) called inbound on final. I cleared aircraft Y to land forgetting the first aircraft X was holding in position. As the second aircraft Y approached short final, I scanned the runway noticing the first aircraft X still in position, and sent the second aircraft Y around. The pilot executed the go around and passed over aircraft X in position at approximately 300 ft. At the time of the incident I had been awake for over 24 hours, on position and alone in the tower for almost 2 hours, and was solely responsible for all tower cabin attendant functions. While this is not normal practice, the WX was also a contributing factor to the workload as I had to pay particular attention to the south area surface detection equipment (asde) to ensure safety of the aircraft taxiing on the south complex. Had there been a second controller in the tower to share operational responsibilities, as there normally is, I am confident this incident would not have occurred.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR CLRED ACFT X ONTO ACTIVE RWY. BECAME BUSY DISTR, FORGOT ABOUT ACFT X. ACFT Y CALLED FOR CLRNC TO LAND ON SAME RWY. RPTR CLRED ACFT Y TO LAND. LATER, RPTR REALIZED RWY WAS OCCUPIED, TOLD ACFT Y TO GO AROUND.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING THE LATE NIGHT SHIFT IN THE TWR DURING A PERIOD OF MODERATE TFC. THE S COMPLEX OF THE ARPT WAS OBSCURED FROM THE TWR BY HVY GND FOG. THE N COMPLEX WAS CLR WITH RVR OF MORE THAN 6000 FT. DUE TO THE WX AND NOISE ABATEMENT, THE INBOARD RWY ON THE N COMPLEX WAS THE ONLY ONE IN USE FOR TKOF AND LNDG. I ISSUED TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD INSTRUCTIONS TO AN ACFT (ACFT X) AWAITING DEP AS A PREVIOUS ARR ROLLED OUT ON THE RWY. I BECAME DISTR BY GND CTL DUTIES, IN PARTICULAR, BY 2 ACFT WITH SIMILAR CALL SIGNS WHO CONFUSED THEIR TAXI INSTRUCTIONS. AS I RESOLVED THE SIT, AN ACFT (ACFT Y) CALLED INBOUND ON FINAL. I CLRED ACFT Y TO LAND FORGETTING THE FIRST ACFT X WAS HOLDING IN POS. AS THE SECOND ACFT Y APCHED SHORT FINAL, I SCANNED THE RWY NOTICING THE FIRST ACFT X STILL IN POS, AND SENT THE SECOND ACFT Y AROUND. THE PLT EXECUTED THE GAR AND PASSED OVER ACFT X IN POS AT APPROX 300 FT. AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT I HAD BEEN AWAKE FOR OVER 24 HRS, ON POS AND ALONE IN THE TWR FOR ALMOST 2 HRS, AND WAS SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL TWR CAB FUNCTIONS. WHILE THIS IS NOT NORMAL PRACTICE, THE WX WAS ALSO A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO THE WORKLOAD AS I HAD TO PAY PARTICULAR ATTN TO THE S AREA SURFACE DETECTION EQUIP (ASDE) TO ENSURE SAFETY OF THE ACFT TAXIING ON THE S COMPLEX. HAD THERE BEEN A SECOND CTLR IN THE TWR TO SHARE OPERATIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES, AS THERE NORMALLY IS, I AM CONFIDENT THIS INCIDENT WOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED.

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.