Narrative:

The aircraft reported on frequency 5 mi southwest of the airport. I cleared him to land on initial call-up. There was no other traffic at the time. Ground control requested a runway crossing and I approved it thinking I had no traffic. I heard a transmission; looked and saw the fuel truck exiting the runway as the aircraft was rolling out. Several factors came into play regarding this situation. First and foremost was a failure to scan the runway environment and the chip board by both the local controller (me) and the ground controller. The chip board indicated an aircraft was cleared to land. The second factor was a failure to use an indicator chip for the runway crossing. Had I used the chip; I would most likely have re-scanned my environment.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MIC CTLR EXPERIENCED OPERROR GIVING A TRUCK CLRNC TO CROSS THE LNDG RWY. AN ACFT HAD ALREADY BEEN GIVEN CLRNC TO LAND.

Narrative: THE ACFT RPTED ON FREQ 5 MI SW OF THE ARPT. I CLRED HIM TO LAND ON INITIAL CALL-UP. THERE WAS NO OTHER TFC AT THE TIME. GND CTL REQUESTED A RWY XING AND I APPROVED IT THINKING I HAD NO TFC. I HEARD A XMISSION; LOOKED AND SAW THE FUEL TRUCK EXITING THE RWY AS THE ACFT WAS ROLLING OUT. SEVERAL FACTORS CAME INTO PLAY REGARDING THIS SIT. FIRST AND FOREMOST WAS A FAILURE TO SCAN THE RWY ENVIRONMENT AND THE CHIP BOARD BY BOTH THE LCL CTLR (ME) AND THE GND CTLR. THE CHIP BOARD INDICATED AN ACFT WAS CLRED TO LAND. THE SECOND FACTOR WAS A FAILURE TO USE AN INDICATOR CHIP FOR THE RWY XING. HAD I USED THE CHIP; I WOULD MOST LIKELY HAVE RE-SCANNED MY ENVIRONMENT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.