Boi controller described takeoff event when failed relief briefing may have led to a departure from ...

Attributes
ACN	807567
Time
Date	200810
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : boi.airport
State Reference	ID
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Weather Elements	Fog
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : boi.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Transport Low Wing 2 Turbojet Eng
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Function	controller : clearance delivery
Qualification	controller : radar controller : non radar
Experience	controller radar : 25 controller time certified in position1 : 20
ASRS Report	807567
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance

Narrative:

I had opened clearance delivery/ground control combined for the day shift. The mid personnel had just left without giving a shift briefing. An mdt taxied to runway 10L and was then given a takeoff clearance from another controller. Approximately 5 mins after its departure; another controller noticed that the lights on the lightning panel were in smgccs confign. This lights specific txwys and the instrument runway which happens to be runway 10R. At this time; runway 10R was closed for maintenance and had been for several weeks. It was then that we realized that the only lighted runway was runway 10R. Because of the low visibility; the runways were not visible from the tower and visual verification of the lighting could not be confirmed. The previous controllers had put the lights in the smgccs confign as part of a test earlier in their shift and had failed to set the lights back to the normal confign when it was completed.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BOI CTLR DESCRIBED TKOF EVENT WHEN FAILED RELIEF BRIEFING MAY HAVE LED TO A DEP FROM A CLOSED OR UNLIGHTED RWY.

Narrative: I HAD OPENED CLRNC DELIVERY/GND CTL COMBINED FOR THE DAY SHIFT. THE MID PERSONNEL HAD JUST LEFT WITHOUT GIVING A SHIFT BRIEFING. AN MDT TAXIED TO RWY 10L AND WAS THEN GIVEN A TKOF CLRNC FROM ANOTHER CTLR. APPROX 5 MINS AFTER ITS DEP; ANOTHER CTLR NOTICED THAT THE LIGHTS ON THE LIGHTNING PANEL WERE IN SMGCCS CONFIGN. THIS LIGHTS SPECIFIC TXWYS AND THE INST RWY WHICH HAPPENS TO BE RWY 10R. AT THIS TIME; RWY 10R WAS CLOSED FOR MAINT AND HAD BEEN FOR SEVERAL WKS. IT WAS THEN THAT WE REALIZED THAT THE ONLY LIGHTED RWY WAS RWY 10R. BECAUSE OF THE LOW VISIBILITY; THE RWYS WERE NOT VISIBLE FROM THE TWR AND VISUAL VERIFICATION OF THE LIGHTING COULD NOT BE CONFIRMED. THE PREVIOUS CTLRS HAD PUT THE LIGHTS IN THE SMGCCS CONFIGN AS PART OF A TEST EARLIER IN THEIR SHIFT AND HAD FAILED TO SET THE LIGHTS BACK TO THE NORMAL CONFIGN WHEN IT WAS COMPLETED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.

Boi controller described takeoff event when failed relief briefing may have led to a departure from a closed or unlighted runway.