Narrative:

I was working in the control tower at ewr with all positions combined. My partner was away from the control floor on a meal break. ILS 22L, depart runway 22L, runway 22R closed, runway 11/29 not active, numerous taxiway closures. We just moved in to a new facility and this was my first shift in this building. I just had an aircraft land runway 22L and air carrier X calls for taxi for departure. I thought air carrier X requested runway 4L for departure. I was not thinking at the time and said I would check with approach control if they would approve it. Approach approved it. I taxied air carrier X to runway 4L and cleared him for takeoff. Air carrier X took off on a closed runway. There were numerous contributing factors. Runway 4L was closed and listed on ATIS and ids system, amass showed it closed. All lights were turned off. Our new tower work stations are very spread out and we have not come up with a standardized procedure. Runway placards were used to show runway 22R/4L closed, but were set on the northeast position. I was working air carrier X away from that position. The port authority was performing maintenance on the runway, heard what was going on and advised operations to call tower and remind me of the closed runway. Our direct line to the port authority was not working, and by the time the call came, it was too late. I realize I must accept the major responsibility for these actions, but the checks and balances to avoid this were lacking. Why did the pilot request to depart on the opposite flow off a closed runway? Why did he depart from a runway with no lights on? Why was the port authority line not working? Why did the amass not help? Runway status board were not adequate. Maybe construction should have been halted during our transition period. Were we given enough transition training to be ready to work in new facility?

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EWR CTLR CLEARS ACFT TO DEP ON CLOSED RWY.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING IN THE CTL TWR AT EWR WITH ALL POSITIONS COMBINED. MY PARTNER WAS AWAY FROM THE CTL FLOOR ON A MEAL BREAK. ILS 22L, DEPART RWY 22L, RWY 22R CLOSED, RWY 11/29 NOT ACTIVE, NUMEROUS TXWY CLOSURES. WE JUST MOVED IN TO A NEW FAC AND THIS WAS MY FIRST SHIFT IN THIS BUILDING. I JUST HAD AN ACFT LAND RWY 22L AND ACR X CALLS FOR TAXI FOR DEP. I THOUGHT ACR X REQUESTED RWY 4L FOR DEP. I WAS NOT THINKING AT THE TIME AND SAID I WOULD CHECK WITH APCH CTL IF THEY WOULD APPROVE IT. APCH APPROVED IT. I TAXIED ACR X TO RWY 4L AND CLRED HIM FOR TKOF. ACR X TOOK OFF ON A CLOSED RWY. THERE WERE NUMEROUS CONTRIBUTING FACTORS. RWY 4L WAS CLOSED AND LISTED ON ATIS AND IDS SYSTEM, AMASS SHOWED IT CLOSED. ALL LIGHTS WERE TURNED OFF. OUR NEW TWR WORK STATIONS ARE VERY SPREAD OUT AND WE HAVE NOT COME UP WITH A STANDARDIZED PROC. RWY PLACARDS WERE USED TO SHOW RWY 22R/4L CLOSED, BUT WERE SET ON THE NE POS. I WAS WORKING ACR X AWAY FROM THAT POS. THE PORT AUTHORITY WAS PERFORMING MAINT ON THE RWY, HEARD WHAT WAS GOING ON AND ADVISED OPS TO CALL TWR AND REMIND ME OF THE CLOSED RWY. OUR DIRECT LINE TO THE PORT AUTHORITY WAS NOT WORKING, AND BY THE TIME THE CALL CAME, IT WAS TOO LATE. I REALIZE I MUST ACCEPT THE MAJOR RESPONSIBILITY FOR THESE ACTIONS, BUT THE CHECKS AND BALANCES TO AVOID THIS WERE LACKING. WHY DID THE PLT REQUEST TO DEPART ON THE OPPOSITE FLOW OFF A CLOSED RWY? WHY DID HE DEPART FROM A RWY WITH NO LIGHTS ON? WHY WAS THE PORT AUTHORITY LINE NOT WORKING? WHY DID THE AMASS NOT HELP? RWY STATUS BOARD WERE NOT ADEQUATE. MAYBE CONSTRUCTION SHOULD HAVE BEEN HALTED DURING OUR TRANSITION PERIOD. WERE WE GIVEN ENOUGH TRANSITION TRAINING TO BE READY TO WORK IN NEW FACILITY?

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.