Anc local control cancels MD80 takeoff clearance when observing maintenance vehicle on runway 24L.

Attributes
ACN	496906
Time
Date	200101
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : anc.airport
State Reference	AK
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Weather Elements	Ice
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : position and hold ground : takeoff roll
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : ground controller : clearance delivery controller : combined local
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller limited radar : 1 controller military : 9 controller non radar : 3 controller radar : 5 controller time certified in position1 : 0.75
ASRS Report	496906
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground less severe incursion : runway non adherence : published procedure non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued advisory controller : separated traffic controller : issued new clearance flight crew : rejected takeoff
Miss Distance	horizontal : 7700 vertical : 0
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Weather ATC Human Performance Airport Company Maintenance Human Performance
Primary Problem	Maintenance Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Inter Facility Coordination Failure
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : anc.tower
Airport	snow removal : anc.airport

Narrative:

Anc tower mid shift, local controller, ground controller, cc, lake hood local control combined. Landing runway 14, departing runway 4L, runway 24R closed for deicing. Sand truck 2 (st-2) called to cross runway 6R/24L at taxiway east and do turnarounds on runway 24L. His request was approved and told to report complete. Mins later, st-2 reported 'clear on the ramp.' maintenance 1 (M-1) was cleared onto runway 6R/24L for runway check and, at the same time, air carrier X (an MD80) was issued taxi instructions to runway 24L, 'hold short of runway 24R.' as air carrier X approached runway 24R, he was cleared to cross runway 24R and 'hold short of runway 24L, vehicle on runway for runway check.' a short time later, M-1 reported clear of runway 24L and air carrier X was taxied 'into position and hold runway 24L, awaiting IFR release.' less than 1 min later, I cleared air carrier X for takeoff. I immediately observed a vehicle approximately 8000 ft down the runway and at the same moment st-2 advised that he was on runway 24L. I canceled air carrier X's departure clearance and he rolled approximately 300 ft and stopped. I told st-2 to exit the runway and informed him that he had reported 'clear on ramp,' he retorted that he had never reported clear of runway 24L. Air carrier X was taxied back to runway 24L and departed without further incident. At anc international, airport procedures require that vehicles call tower when leaving the shop, when entering the ramp areas, when entering and exiting txwys, for permission onto active and closed runways, and when returning to 'the shop.' when snow removal or deice procedures are in use, this results in an excess of unnecessary and distracting radio chatter from up to 10-15 vehicles -- mixed in with airborne and ground aircraft traffic. Corrective action: change airport requirements so that vehicles only call tower to proceed on active runways, with understanding that at all other times they give way to aircraft and hold short of all runways.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ANC LCL CTL CANCELS MD80 TKOF CLRNC WHEN OBSERVING MAINT VEHICLE ON RWY 24L.

Narrative: ANC TWR MID SHIFT, LCL CTLR, GND CTLR, CC, LAKE HOOD LCL CTL COMBINED. LNDG RWY 14, DEPARTING RWY 4L, RWY 24R CLOSED FOR DEICING. SAND TRUCK 2 (ST-2) CALLED TO CROSS RWY 6R/24L AT TXWY E AND DO TURNAROUNDS ON RWY 24L. HIS REQUEST WAS APPROVED AND TOLD TO RPT COMPLETE. MINS LATER, ST-2 RPTED 'CLR ON THE RAMP.' MAINT 1 (M-1) WAS CLRED ONTO RWY 6R/24L FOR RWY CHK AND, AT THE SAME TIME, ACR X (AN MD80) WAS ISSUED TAXI INSTRUCTIONS TO RWY 24L, 'HOLD SHORT OF RWY 24R.' AS ACR X APCHED RWY 24R, HE WAS CLRED TO CROSS RWY 24R AND 'HOLD SHORT OF RWY 24L, VEHICLE ON RWY FOR RWY CHK.' A SHORT TIME LATER, M-1 RPTED CLR OF RWY 24L AND ACR X WAS TAXIED 'INTO POS AND HOLD RWY 24L, AWAITING IFR RELEASE.' LESS THAN 1 MIN LATER, I CLRED ACR X FOR TKOF. I IMMEDIATELY OBSERVED A VEHICLE APPROX 8000 FT DOWN THE RWY AND AT THE SAME MOMENT ST-2 ADVISED THAT HE WAS ON RWY 24L. I CANCELED ACR X'S DEP CLRNC AND HE ROLLED APPROX 300 FT AND STOPPED. I TOLD ST-2 TO EXIT THE RWY AND INFORMED HIM THAT HE HAD RPTED 'CLR ON RAMP,' HE RETORTED THAT HE HAD NEVER RPTED CLR OF RWY 24L. ACR X WAS TAXIED BACK TO RWY 24L AND DEPARTED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. AT ANC INTL, ARPT PROCS REQUIRE THAT VEHICLES CALL TWR WHEN LEAVING THE SHOP, WHEN ENTERING THE RAMP AREAS, WHEN ENTERING AND EXITING TXWYS, FOR PERMISSION ONTO ACTIVE AND CLOSED RWYS, AND WHEN RETURNING TO 'THE SHOP.' WHEN SNOW REMOVAL OR DEICE PROCS ARE IN USE, THIS RESULTS IN AN EXCESS OF UNNECESSARY AND DISTRACTING RADIO CHATTER FROM UP TO 10-15 VEHICLES -- MIXED IN WITH AIRBORNE AND GND ACFT TFC. CORRECTIVE ACTION: CHANGE ARPT REQUIREMENTS SO THAT VEHICLES ONLY CALL TWR TO PROCEED ON ACTIVE RWYS, WITH UNDERSTANDING THAT AT ALL OTHER TIMES THEY GIVE WAY TO ACFT AND HOLD SHORT OF ALL RWYS.

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.