Tower controller described an emergency event when vehicles were cleared onto the runway by ground c...

Narrative:

Runway xxl was in use with the visual approach being advertised. Weather was VFR and visibility was unrestricted. I was providing training on the local control position and a cpc was working ground control (ground control) at the ground control position while also working xx. Xx/ground control informed us that there was an emergency BE35; arrival inbound. The crash phone was activated with an alert 1 due to the BE35 leaking fuel out of his right wing fuel cap. The lead up to the BE35 landing was without incident. As the BE35 was landing; I answered a phone call regarding the emergency landing because xx/ground control was busy coordinating with the emergency crash fire rescue equipment vehicles. When I was on the phone; I heard xx/ground control give crash fire rescue equipment vehicles clearance to follow the BE35 down the runway. It is standard procedure for the crash fire rescue equipment vehicles to follow an emergency aircraft; but it is verbally coordinated and recorded via the recorded line. When I saw the crash fire rescue equipment vehicles enter onto the runway I acknowledged what they were doing and quickly approved the crash fire rescue equipment vehicles to follow the BE35; but not via the recorded line. Safety was never compromised. Recommendation: have emergency vehicles change to the tower frequency when they are requesting to proceed onto an active runway. Also; if I did not have to answer the commercial phone regarding the emergency; my situational awareness would have been better and I might have been able to see the runway incursion developing.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: Tower Controller described an emergency event when vehicles were cleared onto the runway by Ground Control but not coordinated via a recorded land line as required.

Narrative: Runway XXL was in use with the Visual Approach being advertised. Weather was VFR and visibility was unrestricted. I was providing training on the Local Control position and a CPC was working Ground Control (GC) at the GC position while also working XX. XX/GC informed us that there was an emergency BE35; arrival inbound. The Crash Phone was activated with an Alert 1 due to the BE35 leaking fuel out of his right wing fuel cap. The lead up to the BE35 landing was without incident. As the BE35 was landing; I answered a phone call regarding the emergency landing because XX/GC was busy coordinating with the emergency CFR vehicles. When I was on the phone; I heard XX/GC give CFR vehicles clearance to follow the BE35 down the runway. It is standard procedure for the CFR vehicles to follow an emergency aircraft; but it is verbally coordinated and recorded via the recorded line. When I saw the CFR vehicles enter onto the runway I acknowledged what they were doing and quickly approved the CFR vehicles to follow the BE35; but not via the recorded line. Safety was never compromised. Recommendation: have emergency vehicles change to the Tower frequency when they are requesting to proceed onto an active runway. Also; if I did not have to answer the commercial phone regarding the emergency; my situational awareness would have been better and I might have been able to see the runway incursion developing.

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	920577
Time
Date	201011
Local Time Of Day	1201-1800
Place
Locale Reference	ZZZ.Airport
State Reference	US
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	No Aircraft
Route In Use	None
Person 1
Function	Local
Qualification	Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Events
Anomaly	ATC Issue All Types Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical Deviation - Procedural Published Material / Policy

Tower controller described an emergency event when vehicles were cleared onto the runway by ground control but not coordinated via a recorded land line as required.