Narrative:

I was working local control on a midshift with ground control and radar coordinator combined to my position. The controller in charge was busy working the supervisor's desk and clearance delivery. Traffic was light, landing runways 28, departing runways 1, but my workload was moderate due to working combined position. The city called me on local frequency to close runway 28R/10L, thus increasing my workload. I had to clear traffic off runway 28R, then close the runway verbally with the city, give them time and initials, turn off the approach lights, turn off the runway lights, notify the as/controller in charge, advise bay approach of the closure, change landing traffic to runway 28L (approach didn't know the runway would close), display appropriate placards and local control and ground control position. I also had a departure ready to go at runway 28L who I cleared for takeoff. Approach called back to ask why the runway had closed and then amass alerted! 'Warning, runway 28R occupied runway!' this really got my attention! My first thought was that the alert was for my departing B767 on runway 28L, but I observed him rolling midfield on runway 28L just about to rotate -- too late to do anything for them! I looked at the asde/amass and saw the alert on runway 28R, a tracked target moving towards the construction equipment on the runway. The amass was really just doing what it is supposed to do. Neither I nor the controller in charge had set the amass to runway 28R/10C closed. In the future, I will not give the city control of a runway until I have time to adjust the amass to show the runway closed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SFO LCL CTLR BECOMES INVOLVED WITH MULTIPLE TASKS INVOLVING RWY CLOSURE AND FORGETS TO RECONFIGURE AMASS (ARPT MOVEMENT AREA SAFETY SYS) FROM ACTIVE TO INACTIVE.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING LCL CTL ON A MIDSHIFT WITH GND CTL AND RADAR COORDINATOR COMBINED TO MY POS. THE CIC WAS BUSY WORKING THE SUPVR'S DESK AND CLRNC DELIVERY. TFC WAS LIGHT, LNDG RWYS 28, DEPARTING RWYS 1, BUT MY WORKLOAD WAS MODERATE DUE TO WORKING COMBINED POS. THE CITY CALLED ME ON LCL FREQ TO CLOSE RWY 28R/10L, THUS INCREASING MY WORKLOAD. I HAD TO CLR TFC OFF RWY 28R, THEN CLOSE THE RWY VERBALLY WITH THE CITY, GIVE THEM TIME AND INITIALS, TURN OFF THE APCH LIGHTS, TURN OFF THE RWY LIGHTS, NOTIFY THE AS/CIC, ADVISE BAY APCH OF THE CLOSURE, CHANGE LNDG TFC TO RWY 28L (APCH DIDN'T KNOW THE RWY WOULD CLOSE), DISPLAY APPROPRIATE PLACARDS AND LCL CTL AND GND CTL POS. I ALSO HAD A DEP READY TO GO AT RWY 28L WHO I CLRED FOR TKOF. APCH CALLED BACK TO ASK WHY THE RWY HAD CLOSED AND THEN AMASS ALERTED! 'WARNING, RWY 28R OCCUPIED RWY!' THIS REALLY GOT MY ATTN! MY FIRST THOUGHT WAS THAT THE ALERT WAS FOR MY DEPARTING B767 ON RWY 28L, BUT I OBSERVED HIM ROLLING MIDFIELD ON RWY 28L JUST ABOUT TO ROTATE -- TOO LATE TO DO ANYTHING FOR THEM! I LOOKED AT THE ASDE/AMASS AND SAW THE ALERT ON RWY 28R, A TRACKED TARGET MOVING TOWARDS THE CONSTRUCTION EQUIP ON THE RWY. THE AMASS WAS REALLY JUST DOING WHAT IT IS SUPPOSED TO DO. NEITHER I NOR THE CIC HAD SET THE AMASS TO RWY 28R/10C CLOSED. IN THE FUTURE, I WILL NOT GIVE THE CITY CTL OF A RWY UNTIL I HAVE TIME TO ADJUST THE AMASS TO SHOW THE RWY CLOSED.

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.