Narrative:

I was working local 2 and local 3 combined. The supervisor was coordinating some runway xings on runway 27. Ground #2 was asking for runway 27 xings at taxiway C; taxiway south and taxiway B. Ground #1 was asking to cross runway 27 at taxiway north. That's 3 different people all asking to cross an active runway at various intxns. During the middle of our afternoon departure push. The supervisor told me that a helicopter would depart from the intersection of taxiway south and runway 27 after one more aircraft departed runway 36L. Local control #1 then asked to cross runway 27 an ATR43 at taxiway C. In the confusion of 3 different people coordinating runway xings on one runway; I made the mistake of thinking that the supervisor had informed the other ground and local controllers of what all had been coordinated. The helicopter was cleared for takeoff and starting to roll; when the ATR43 crossed in front of the helicopter. The alert local #1 controller canceled the takeoff clearance of the helicopter and told him to stop. I then looked down into my strip bay; and someone had placed the '27 released to ground' strip in my bay; indicating that ground did not need to coordination xings and that the runway should not -- shall not be used for arrs or departures. Runway 27 is an accident waiting to happen. This type of confusion happens often.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MEM LCL CTLR DESCRIBED CONFLICT BTWN HELI TKOF AND DEP ACFT WHEN COORD WITHIN THE TWR FAILED BTWN THE SUPVR AND OTHER POS.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING LCL 2 AND LCL 3 COMBINED. THE SUPVR WAS COORDINATING SOME RWY XINGS ON RWY 27. GND #2 WAS ASKING FOR RWY 27 XINGS AT TXWY C; TXWY S AND TXWY B. GND #1 WAS ASKING TO CROSS RWY 27 AT TXWY N. THAT'S 3 DIFFERENT PEOPLE ALL ASKING TO CROSS AN ACTIVE RWY AT VARIOUS INTXNS. DURING THE MIDDLE OF OUR AFTERNOON DEP PUSH. THE SUPVR TOLD ME THAT A HELI WOULD DEPART FROM THE INTXN OF TXWY S AND RWY 27 AFTER ONE MORE ACFT DEPARTED RWY 36L. LCL CTL #1 THEN ASKED TO CROSS RWY 27 AN ATR43 AT TXWY C. IN THE CONFUSION OF 3 DIFFERENT PEOPLE COORDINATING RWY XINGS ON ONE RWY; I MADE THE MISTAKE OF THINKING THAT THE SUPVR HAD INFORMED THE OTHER GROUND AND LCL CTLRS OF WHAT ALL HAD BEEN COORDINATED. THE HELI WAS CLRED FOR TKOF AND STARTING TO ROLL; WHEN THE ATR43 CROSSED IN FRONT OF THE HELI. THE ALERT LCL #1 CTLR CANCELED THE TKOF CLRNC OF THE HELI AND TOLD HIM TO STOP. I THEN LOOKED DOWN INTO MY STRIP BAY; AND SOMEONE HAD PLACED THE '27 RELEASED TO GND' STRIP IN MY BAY; INDICATING THAT GND DID NOT NEED TO COORD XINGS AND THAT THE RWY SHOULD NOT -- SHALL NOT BE USED FOR ARRS OR DEPS. RWY 27 IS AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN. THIS TYPE OF CONFUSION HAPPENS OFTEN.

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.