An ATCT local controller and his developmental, misjudged the position of a taxiing aircraft relativ...

Attributes
ACN	544987
Time
Date	200111
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sju.airport
State Reference	PR
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : position and hold
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tower : sju.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	landing : roll
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller limited radar : 2 controller military : 5 controller radar : 1 controller time certified in position1 : 1.5
ASRS Report	544987
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : developmental
Events
Anomaly	incursion : runway non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other controllerb other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error

Narrative:

I was training on local control. My developmental taxied into position and hold, air carrier X abc on runway 8. I immediately told him that that would not work because we had traffic air carrier X def on about 3 mi final. So he instructed air carrier X abc to hold short of runway 8. No response. Second time, no response. Since I didn't get a readback of him holding short of the runway, I took the position and instructed air carrier X abc hold your position. After that he responded with roger. I observed the aircraft stop short of the hold short line and I told my developmental to also look and said if he did cross we had to send air carrier X def around. But to both of us he clearly was holding short. I kept controling the traffic around the airport and about 20 seconds later air carrier X abc was heard on the recorder saying he was across the hold short line. Both myself and the developmental missed the call. But as I said we observed him short of the line. When air carrier X def landed on runway 8 I instructed air carrier X abc to taxi into position and hold and he said that if we heard him saying he was across the hold short line. I told him that I didn't get any transmission on that event. He said that he said it 3 times and on the recorder only showed once. The FAA ruled that there was a controller operational error. I disagree due to the fact that if he really was across the hold short line I had enough time to send the other aircraft around but I observed the aircraft. And if he really said it 3 times, there must have been some type of equipment malfunction. I did what had to be done and now I'm being accused when there is nothing to say otherwise. I believe my word is the truth, maybe the pilot observed some other line.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ATCT LCL CTLR AND HIS DEVELOPMENTAL, MISJUDGED THE POS OF A TAXIING ACFT RELATIVE TO THE HOLD SHORT LINE. CONVINCED THE ACFT WAS BEHIND THE HOLD LINE, AN ARR WAS CLRED TO LAND WHILE THE ACFT HOLDING SHORT RPTED HAVING CROSSED THE HOLD SHORT LINE.

Narrative: I WAS TRAINING ON LCL CTL. MY DEVELOPMENTAL TAXIED INTO POS AND HOLD, ACR X ABC ON RWY 8. I IMMEDIATELY TOLD HIM THAT THAT WOULD NOT WORK BECAUSE WE HAD TFC ACR X DEF ON ABOUT 3 MI FINAL. SO HE INSTRUCTED ACR X ABC TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 8. NO RESPONSE. SECOND TIME, NO RESPONSE. SINCE I DIDN'T GET A READBACK OF HIM HOLDING SHORT OF THE RWY, I TOOK THE POS AND INSTRUCTED ACR X ABC HOLD YOUR POS. AFTER THAT HE RESPONDED WITH ROGER. I OBSERVED THE ACFT STOP SHORT OF THE HOLD SHORT LINE AND I TOLD MY DEVELOPMENTAL TO ALSO LOOK AND SAID IF HE DID CROSS WE HAD TO SEND ACR X DEF AROUND. BUT TO BOTH OF US HE CLRLY WAS HOLDING SHORT. I KEPT CTLING THE TFC AROUND THE ARPT AND ABOUT 20 SECONDS LATER ACR X ABC WAS HEARD ON THE RECORDER SAYING HE WAS ACROSS THE HOLD SHORT LINE. BOTH MYSELF AND THE DEVELOPMENTAL MISSED THE CALL. BUT AS I SAID WE OBSERVED HIM SHORT OF THE LINE. WHEN ACR X DEF LANDED ON RWY 8 I INSTRUCTED ACR X ABC TO TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD AND HE SAID THAT IF WE HEARD HIM SAYING HE WAS ACROSS THE HOLD SHORT LINE. I TOLD HIM THAT I DIDN'T GET ANY XMISSION ON THAT EVENT. HE SAID THAT HE SAID IT 3 TIMES AND ON THE RECORDER ONLY SHOWED ONCE. THE FAA RULED THAT THERE WAS A CTLR OPERATIONAL ERROR. I DISAGREE DUE TO THE FACT THAT IF HE REALLY WAS ACROSS THE HOLD SHORT LINE I HAD ENOUGH TIME TO SEND THE OTHER ACFT AROUND BUT I OBSERVED THE ACFT. AND IF HE REALLY SAID IT 3 TIMES, THERE MUST HAVE BEEN SOME TYPE OF EQUIP MALFUNCTION. I DID WHAT HAD TO BE DONE AND NOW I'M BEING ACCUSED WHEN THERE IS NOTHING TO SAY OTHERWISE. I BELIEVE MY WORD IS THE TRUTH, MAYBE THE PLT OBSERVED SOME OTHER LINE.

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.

An ATCT local controller and his developmental, misjudged the position of a taxiing aircraft relative to the hold short line. Convinced the aircraft was behind the hold line, an arrival was cleared to land while the aircraft holding short reported having crossed the hold short line.