Narrative:

While working ground control in memphis tower during a busy morning outbound push, I had been released control of runway 18C for crossing to send aircraft to runway 18L to accommodate simultaneous departures. During this period an A320 (Y) requested runway 18C because of weight. Under normal conditions he would have been given runway 18R. At the time he was nearing ready for takeoff I started getting all the outbound traffic clear of runway 18C and gave the runway back to local. At that time local had cleared air carrier X an embraer 145 to land on runway 18L, he turned off and was told to contact ground. I then crossed air carrier X on runway 18C at the same time air carrier Y was cleared for takeoff. The local controller aborted air carrier Y's take off and I expedited air carrier X across runway 18C. The aircraft we never closer than 6000 ft at taxi speed. Under normal procedures local would have turned air carrier X off runway 18L and held short of runway 18C on tower frequency or crossed runway 18C then contacted ground. At the time I had 13 aircraft on my frequency. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter indicated that heavy workload was an issue -- he was working 13 aircraft at the time of the runway incursion event and simply missed the potential conflict. He indicated that local switched air carrier X to ground upon clearing runway 18L, and because of the very short distance between runway south 18L and 18C, there is a significant opportunity for this sort of 'trap' to develop. He suggests that aircraft should remain with tower if runway 18C is active.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR X LNDG RWY 18L IS SWITCHED TO GND AND CLRED ACROSS RWY 18C AS ACR Y IS CLRED FOR TAKEOFF ON RWY 18C. THE SIT IS RECOGNIZED AND ACR Y'S TAKEOFF IS ABORTED WHILE ACR X IS EXPEDITED.

Narrative: WHILE WORKING GND CTL IN MEMPHIS TWR DURING A BUSY MORNING OUTBOUND PUSH, I HAD BEEN RELEASED CTL OF RWY 18C FOR CROSSING TO SEND ACFT TO RWY 18L TO ACCOMMODATE SIMULTANEOUS DEPS. DURING THIS PERIOD AN A320 (Y) REQUESTED RWY 18C BECAUSE OF WEIGHT. UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS HE WOULD HAVE BEEN GIVEN RWY 18R. AT THE TIME HE WAS NEARING READY FOR TAKEOFF I STARTED GETTING ALL THE OUTBOUND TFC CLR OF RWY 18C AND GAVE THE RWY BACK TO LOCAL. AT THAT TIME LOCAL HAD CLRED ACR X AN EMBRAER 145 TO LAND ON RWY 18L, HE TURNED OFF AND WAS TOLD TO CONTACT GND. I THEN CROSSED ACR X ON RWY 18C AT THE SAME TIME ACR Y WAS CLEARED FOR TAKEOFF. THE LOCAL CTLR ABORTED ACR Y'S TAKE OFF AND I EXPEDITED ACR X ACROSS RWY 18C. THE ACFT WE NEVER CLOSER THAN 6000 FT AT TAXI SPEED. UNDER NORMAL PROCEDURES LOCAL WOULD HAVE TURNED ACR X OFF RWY 18L AND HELD SHORT OF RWY 18C ON TWR FREQ OR CROSSED RWY 18C THEN CONTACTED GND. AT THE TIME I HAD 13 ACFT ON MY FREQ. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR INDICATED THAT HEAVY WORKLOAD WAS AN ISSUE -- HE WAS WORKING 13 ACFT AT THE TIME OF THE RWY INCURSION EVENT AND SIMPLY MISSED THE POTENTIAL CONFLICT. HE INDICATED THAT LOCAL SWITCHED ACR X TO GND UPON CLRING RWY 18L, AND BECAUSE OF THE VERY SHORT DISTANCE BETWEEN RWY S 18L AND 18C, THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT OPPORTUNITY FOR THIS SORT OF 'TRAP' TO DEVELOP. HE SUGGESTS THAT ACFT SHOULD REMAIN WITH TWR IF RWY 18C IS ACTIVE.

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.