Narrative:

Working all position in tower with headset, rather than hand sets. Headset with cord allows me to walk around tower and still be connected to local control without having to run back to position to answer an aircraft request. But it also takes you away from the position, which was critical in this case. Working on correcting automated ATIS, which appeared to have software problem. Airport manager asked to do lighting check of active departure runway. Permission granted. Had I been at my position instead of ATIS, I would have made a written notation of vehicle on runway. I didn't. Aircraft called for taxi to depart runway. Instructions given. Aircraft reached departure runway and was put into position. By this time, I had forgotten about vehicle (it was also XA00 am) and cleared aircraft for takeoff. Immediately, I saw and realized vehicle was still on runway. Before I could respond, aircraft also saw vehicle and said so and vehicle called clear. Because I was so preoccupied with ATIS, I failed to make the most elementary notice to myself about vehicle on runway. Even being preoccupied, I could have written a note to myself at ATIS position and when finished, returned to local position with written aid and would not have been troubled with this error. For one moment, I was lazy, tired, preoccupied, out of position. Constant attention to priorities must be maintained in order not to have this happen again on a late night shift. Even though I wished to complete the task at hand, I should have realized that it was secondary to my job of providing a safe environment.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: JFK CTLR CLRS ARPT MAINT VEHICLE ON RWY, THEN CLRS B767 FOR TKOF FROM SAME RWY CAUSING REJECTED TKOF.

Narrative: WORKING ALL POS IN TWR WITH HEADSET, RATHER THAN HAND SETS. HEADSET WITH CORD ALLOWS ME TO WALK AROUND TWR AND STILL BE CONNECTED TO LCL CTL WITHOUT HAVING TO RUN BACK TO POS TO ANSWER AN ACFT REQUEST. BUT IT ALSO TAKES YOU AWAY FROM THE POS, WHICH WAS CRITICAL IN THIS CASE. WORKING ON CORRECTING AUTOMATED ATIS, WHICH APPEARED TO HAVE SOFTWARE PROB. ARPT MGR ASKED TO DO LIGHTING CHK OF ACTIVE DEP RWY. PERMISSION GRANTED. HAD I BEEN AT MY POS INSTEAD OF ATIS, I WOULD HAVE MADE A WRITTEN NOTATION OF VEHICLE ON RWY. I DIDN'T. ACFT CALLED FOR TAXI TO DEPART RWY. INSTRUCTIONS GIVEN. ACFT REACHED DEP RWY AND WAS PUT INTO POS. BY THIS TIME, I HAD FORGOTTEN ABOUT VEHICLE (IT WAS ALSO XA00 AM) AND CLRED ACFT FOR TKOF. IMMEDIATELY, I SAW AND REALIZED VEHICLE WAS STILL ON RWY. BEFORE I COULD RESPOND, ACFT ALSO SAW VEHICLE AND SAID SO AND VEHICLE CALLED CLR. BECAUSE I WAS SO PREOCCUPIED WITH ATIS, I FAILED TO MAKE THE MOST ELEMENTARY NOTICE TO MYSELF ABOUT VEHICLE ON RWY. EVEN BEING PREOCCUPIED, I COULD HAVE WRITTEN A NOTE TO MYSELF AT ATIS POS AND WHEN FINISHED, RETURNED TO LCL POS WITH WRITTEN AID AND WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN TROUBLED WITH THIS ERROR. FOR ONE MOMENT, I WAS LAZY, TIRED, PREOCCUPIED, OUT OF POS. CONSTANT ATTN TO PRIORITIES MUST BE MAINTAINED IN ORDER NOT TO HAVE THIS HAPPEN AGAIN ON A LATE NIGHT SHIFT. EVEN THOUGH I WISHED TO COMPLETE THE TASK AT HAND, I SHOULD HAVE REALIZED THAT IT WAS SECONDARY TO MY JOB OF PROVIDING A SAFE ENVIRONMENT.

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.