 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
A local controller clears an aircraft for takeoff, forgetting that he had previously authority/authorized ground control to move a sweeper onto the same runway mins before at dsm, ia.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 528668 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200110 |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : dsm.airport |
| State Reference | IA |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | EMB ERJ 145 ER&LR |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | ground : takeoff roll ground : taxi |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : local |
| Experience | controller radar : 7 controller time certified in position1 : 3.75 |
| ASRS Report | 528668 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : ground |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | ground encounters : vehicle non adherence : required legal separation non adherence : published procedure |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance controller : separated traffic flight crew : took precautionary avoidance action |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | ATC Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Intra Facility Coordination Failure Operational Error |
Narrative:
I was working local control during a slow period, four aircraft in 30 mins. Ground control asked to put a sweeper on the runway after an arrival. I approved the request, and activated the rid, aural and visual. About 8 mins later, an aircraft called ready for departure. I checked the last 3 list and compared it to my notes, then made a quick scan of the runway. I missed the vehicle and cleared air carrier X for takeoff. Air carrier X taxied onto the runway and lined up on the centerline. He then asked me to verify runway was clear. I cancelled his takeoff clearance and had ground control take the sweeper off the runway. Contributing factors included an insufficient scan of the runway, failure of the rid voice to activate when I keyed the microphone, additional items that could have helped avert the situation would been to have written the vehicle name in my aircraft arrival and departures notes to be an additional reminder, and if the vehicle had the ability to be on tower frequency instead of ground control frequency.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A LOCAL CTLR CLRS AN ACFT FOR TKOF, FORGETTING THAT HE HAD PREVIOUSLY AUTH GND CTL TO MOVE A SWEEPER ONTO THE SAME RWY MINS BEFORE AT DSM, IA.
Narrative: I WAS WORKING LOCAL CTL DURING A SLOW PERIOD, FOUR ACFT IN 30 MINS. GND CTL ASKED TO PUT A SWEEPER ON THE RWY AFTER AN ARR. I APPROVED THE REQUEST, AND ACTIVATED THE RID, AURAL AND VISUAL. ABOUT 8 MINS LATER, AN ACFT CALLED READY FOR DEP. I CHECKED THE LAST 3 LIST AND COMPARED IT TO MY NOTES, THEN MADE A QUICK SCAN OF THE RWY. I MISSED THE VEHICLE AND CLRED ACR X FOR TKOF. ACR X TAXIED ONTO THE RWY AND LINED UP ON THE CENTERLINE. HE THEN ASKED ME TO VERIFY RWY WAS CLR. I CANCELLED HIS TKOF CLRNC AND HAD GND CTL TAKE THE SWEEPER OFF THE RWY. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS INCLUDED AN INSUFFICIENT SCAN OF THE RWY, FAILURE OF THE RID VOICE TO ACTIVATE WHEN I KEYED THE MIKE, ADDITIONAL ITEMS THAT COULD HAVE HELPED AVERT THE SIT WOULD BEEN TO HAVE WRITTEN THE VEHICLE NAME IN MY ACFT ARR AND DEPS NOTES TO BE AN ADDITIONAL REMINDER, AND IF THE VEHICLE HAD THE ABILITY TO BE ON TWR FREQ INSTEAD OF GND CTL FREQ.
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.