Jax controller described a potential aircraft/vehicle conflict when an aircraft was cleared for a to...

Narrative:

VFR cessna in tower pattern; sequenced with arrival to crossing runway; required beacon code change after touch and go. Operations vehicle was on the runway doing an opposite direction runway sweep to the runway the pattern aircraft would use. Due to issues related to beacon code change; aircraft turned final with touch and go clearance while vehicle was still on runway. Operations vehicle saw the aircraft turn final and exited on his own while traffic was on final. Had he not done so; I'm not sure he would have made it to the end before the aircraft crossed the threshold. Discussion between myself and local control regarding the sequencing of the aircraft reference traffic to the other runway; followed immediately by the new flight plan for the cessna being delivered by clearance delivery made us both lose track of the vehicle. I think putting the pattern aircraft on the runway not being inspected is one option but this was a one in a million event that I don't think specific mandatory procedure could have prevented as all of the existing facility memory joggers were in use.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: JAX Controller described a potential aircraft/vehicle conflict when an aircraft was cleared for a touch and go with an airport vehicle runway check in progress. The vehicle cleared the runway prior any conflict.

Narrative: VFR Cessna in Tower pattern; sequenced with arrival to crossing runway; required beacon code change after touch and go. Operations vehicle was on the runway doing an opposite direction runway sweep to the runway the pattern aircraft would use. Due to issues related to beacon code change; aircraft turned final with touch and go clearance while vehicle was still on Runway. Operations vehicle saw the aircraft turn final and exited on his own while traffic was on final. Had he not done so; I'm not sure he would have made it to the end before the aircraft crossed the threshold. Discussion between myself and Local Control regarding the sequencing of the aircraft reference traffic to the other runway; followed immediately by the new flight plan for the Cessna being delivered by Clearance Delivery made us both lose track of the vehicle. I think putting the pattern aircraft on the runway not being inspected is one option but this was a one in a million event that I don't think specific mandatory procedure could have prevented as all of the existing facility memory joggers were in use.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of April 2012 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.

Attributes
ACN	901986
Time
Date	201008
Local Time Of Day	1201-1800
Place
Locale Reference	JAX.Tower
State Reference	FL
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	Cessna Aircraft Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	Landing
Route In Use	Visual Approach
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Function	Coordinator
Qualification	Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Events
Anomaly	ATC Issue All Types Ground Event / Encounter Vehicle Ground Incursion Runway

Jax controller described a potential aircraft/vehicle conflict when an aircraft was cleared for a touch and go with an airport vehicle runway check in progress. The vehicle cleared the runway prior any conflict.