Narrative:

I was working local control with departure aircraft (X and Y) only. The other local control was open and was working both inbound (aircraft Z) and outbound flts. Due to strong northwest winds, runway 30 was in use for arrs, which is very rarely done. The approach to runway 30 is a circling approach off of the ILS runway 1R. I was departing runway 1R. To my knowledge, this particular confign has never been used at iad before. I immediately noticed that the aircraft circling to land runway 30 were overflying the approach numbers of runway 1R, as well as the taxiway along that runway and the hold pad of that end. I expressed concern to the supervisor and was told it was just an optical illusion. I elected to hold traffic on the ground until I had 'gaps' to depart. Even so, several aircraft on the ground, whether on the runway or taxiway, confirmed on the frequency that arriving aircraft on short final to runway 30 were in fact overflying them. I was instructed by the supervisor that I was to continue launching departures anyway. I have filed a ucr on this very unsafe operation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: IAD LCL CTLR DIRECTED BY SUPVR TO CLR ACFT FOR TKOF WHEN SHE PERCEIVES NO SEPARATION CRITERIA HAVE BEEN ESTABLISHED. CTLR WORKING FOR FIRST TIME A RARELY USED ARR DEP CONFIGN.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING LCL CTL WITH DEP ACFT (X AND Y) ONLY. THE OTHER LCL CTL WAS OPEN AND WAS WORKING BOTH INBOUND (ACFT Z) AND OUTBOUND FLTS. DUE TO STRONG NW WINDS, RWY 30 WAS IN USE FOR ARRS, WHICH IS VERY RARELY DONE. THE APCH TO RWY 30 IS A CIRCLING APCH OFF OF THE ILS RWY 1R. I WAS DEPARTING RWY 1R. TO MY KNOWLEDGE, THIS PARTICULAR CONFIGN HAS NEVER BEEN USED AT IAD BEFORE. I IMMEDIATELY NOTICED THAT THE ACFT CIRCLING TO LAND RWY 30 WERE OVERFLYING THE APCH NUMBERS OF RWY 1R, AS WELL AS THE TXWY ALONG THAT RWY AND THE HOLD PAD OF THAT END. I EXPRESSED CONCERN TO THE SUPVR AND WAS TOLD IT WAS JUST AN OPTICAL ILLUSION. I ELECTED TO HOLD TFC ON THE GND UNTIL I HAD 'GAPS' TO DEPART. EVEN SO, SEVERAL ACFT ON THE GND, WHETHER ON THE RWY OR TXWY, CONFIRMED ON THE FREQ THAT ARRIVING ACFT ON SHORT FINAL TO RWY 30 WERE IN FACT OVERFLYING THEM. I WAS INSTRUCTED BY THE SUPVR THAT I WAS TO CONTINUE LAUNCHING DEPS ANYWAY. I HAVE FILED A UCR ON THIS VERY UNSAFE OP.

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.