Narrative:

Port authority/authorized vehicle requested to proceed to gate X from gate Y. After reviewing the tapes, he said, 'request relocation from gate Y, port authority/authorized vehicle cross taxiway south, runway 8 to gate X.' the controller understood gate Y to gate X. The vehicle operator spoke english with an accent. The controller then instructed the vehicle by saying, 'port authority/authorized vehicle relocation from gate Y to gate X approved.' the vehicle then proceeded from gate Y towards taxiway south, then approached runway 8 with mowers. The ground controller seeing this, instructed port authority/authorized vehicle to hold short of runway 8. He read back the hold short instructions, but also said the mowers were crossing the runway. No loss of separation occurred but coordination for the use of runway 8 was not done because approval was not granted by the ground controller to cross the runway. It was not until then that the ground controller realized that what the vehicle wanted was to proceed to 'emergency gate X' which is on the north side of the runway. The vehicle operator at no time was specific 'to the emergency gate X.' he said 'gate X,' and the controller understood just that and specifically approved just that, but the vehicle did otherwise and directed himself towards the emergency gate and not the terminal gate. No action is being taken with the vehicle driver. The controller has been decertified.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SJU GND CTLR INVOLVED IN OPDEV WHEN ARPT MAINT VEHICLE CROSSED RWY WITHOUT PRIOR COORD OR APPROVAL FROM LCL CTLR.

Narrative: PORT AUTH VEHICLE REQUESTED TO PROCEED TO GATE X FROM GATE Y. AFTER REVIEWING THE TAPES, HE SAID, 'REQUEST RELOCATION FROM GATE Y, PORT AUTH VEHICLE CROSS TXWY S, RWY 8 TO GATE X.' THE CTLR UNDERSTOOD GATE Y TO GATE X. THE VEHICLE OPERATOR SPOKE ENGLISH WITH AN ACCENT. THE CTLR THEN INSTRUCTED THE VEHICLE BY SAYING, 'PORT AUTH VEHICLE RELOCATION FROM GATE Y TO GATE X APPROVED.' THE VEHICLE THEN PROCEEDED FROM GATE Y TOWARDS TXWY S, THEN APCHED RWY 8 WITH MOWERS. THE GND CTLR SEEING THIS, INSTRUCTED PORT AUTH VEHICLE TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 8. HE READ BACK THE HOLD SHORT INSTRUCTIONS, BUT ALSO SAID THE MOWERS WERE XING THE RWY. NO LOSS OF SEPARATION OCCURRED BUT COORD FOR THE USE OF RWY 8 WAS NOT DONE BECAUSE APPROVAL WAS NOT GRANTED BY THE GND CTLR TO CROSS THE RWY. IT WAS NOT UNTIL THEN THAT THE GND CTLR REALIZED THAT WHAT THE VEHICLE WANTED WAS TO PROCEED TO 'EMER GATE X' WHICH IS ON THE N SIDE OF THE RWY. THE VEHICLE OPERATOR AT NO TIME WAS SPECIFIC 'TO THE EMER GATE X.' HE SAID 'GATE X,' AND THE CTLR UNDERSTOOD JUST THAT AND SPECIFICALLY APPROVED JUST THAT, BUT THE VEHICLE DID OTHERWISE AND DIRECTED HIMSELF TOWARDS THE EMER GATE AND NOT THE TERMINAL GATE. NO ACTION IS BEING TAKEN WITH THE VEHICLE DRIVER. THE CTLR HAS BEEN DECERTIFIED.

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.