Narrative:

I was assigned to work ground control in mke tower. We were departing runway 19R from the intersection of taxiway V. We were landing runways 25R and runway 25L. E145 was assigned runway 19R intersection taxiway V for takeoff. He read this back correctly. Prior to taxiway V; I told him to hold short of runway 19R at taxiway V and monitor the tower. He read this back correctly also. The pilot passed taxiway V and crossed runway 25R; which was an active runway. There was no aircraft on final for runway 25R at the time; so I didn't feel this was a deviation that needed to be reported. The situation mentioned could have been avoided if our asde-X had been turned on. The section of the airport where taxiway V is located is extremely difficult to see at nighttime. We have 2 intersecting runways (one with flashing guard lights); a run-up pad and a taxiway. All of these are in the vicinity of taxiway V. The lights from these runways and txwys make it difficult; if not impossible; to determine the exact location and direction of movement of an aircraft in this area. If the asde-X had been on; I would have been able to stop E145 from crossing an active runway. Milwaukee has had problems with vibration in the tower cabin attendant from the asde-X antenna which is located on top of the tower. This vibration has gotten much worse since sometime during dec. This is documented in our daily logs. This vibration has become intolerable to some controllers. As a result of this; controllers have been given the option of turning the antenna off. The day shift on jan/tue/06 was bothered by the vibration and turned the antenna off. The asde-X was not operational at the time of this incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MKE GND CTLR DESCRIBED PLTDEV AS DEP TAXIED ACROSS RWY 25R IN LIEU OF TURNING ON TXWY V DURING NON USE OF ASDE-X EQUIP.

Narrative: I WAS ASSIGNED TO WORK GND CTL IN MKE TWR. WE WERE DEPARTING RWY 19R FROM THE INTXN OF TXWY V. WE WERE LNDG RWYS 25R AND RWY 25L. E145 WAS ASSIGNED RWY 19R INTXN TXWY V FOR TKOF. HE READ THIS BACK CORRECTLY. PRIOR TO TXWY V; I TOLD HIM TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 19R AT TXWY V AND MONITOR THE TWR. HE READ THIS BACK CORRECTLY ALSO. THE PLT PASSED TXWY V AND CROSSED RWY 25R; WHICH WAS AN ACTIVE RWY. THERE WAS NO ACFT ON FINAL FOR RWY 25R AT THE TIME; SO I DIDN'T FEEL THIS WAS A DEV THAT NEEDED TO BE RPTED. THE SITUATION MENTIONED COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF OUR ASDE-X HAD BEEN TURNED ON. THE SECTION OF THE ARPT WHERE TXWY V IS LOCATED IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO SEE AT NIGHTTIME. WE HAVE 2 INTERSECTING RWYS (ONE WITH FLASHING GUARD LIGHTS); A RUN-UP PAD AND A TXWY. ALL OF THESE ARE IN THE VICINITY OF TXWY V. THE LIGHTS FROM THESE RWYS AND TXWYS MAKE IT DIFFICULT; IF NOT IMPOSSIBLE; TO DETERMINE THE EXACT LOCATION AND DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT OF AN ACFT IN THIS AREA. IF THE ASDE-X HAD BEEN ON; I WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO STOP E145 FROM XING AN ACTIVE RWY. MILWAUKEE HAS HAD PROBS WITH VIBRATION IN THE TWR CAB FROM THE ASDE-X ANTENNA WHICH IS LOCATED ON TOP OF THE TWR. THIS VIBRATION HAS GOTTEN MUCH WORSE SINCE SOMETIME DURING DEC. THIS IS DOCUMENTED IN OUR DAILY LOGS. THIS VIBRATION HAS BECOME INTOLERABLE TO SOME CTLRS. AS A RESULT OF THIS; CTLRS HAVE BEEN GIVEN THE OPTION OF TURNING THE ANTENNA OFF. THE DAY SHIFT ON JAN/TUE/06 WAS BOTHERED BY THE VIBRATION AND TURNED THE ANTENNA OFF. THE ASDE-X WAS NOT OPERATIONAL AT THE TIME OF THIS INCIDENT.

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.