Narrative:

I was performing duties at the local control-1 (local control) position when small aircraft X landed on runway 18R. He slowed after landing and I instructed him to turn right and contact ground control. (He was approaching a taxiway ahead and to his right.) I then instructed small aircraft Y, who had been holding short of the runway that he was cleared for takeoff. I anticipated that small aircraft X would make the turn and how he missed it I'll never know but I noticed he had bypassed the turn off. Small aircraft Y had just started his departure roll and I broadcast to him to cancel takeoff clearance. He replied it was too late and departed while small aircraft X was still on the runway. Small aircraft X was well down the runway (I estimated 4000 ft when small aircraft Y rotated). It was dark and down the runway (I estimate 4000 ft when small aircraft Y rotated). It was dark and I just lost the small aircraft X in the runway lights. I could make recommendations all day long as to how more staffing in the tower in the coordinator position might have helped or as to how a tower cabin attendant supervisor in the tower might have been that other set of eyes that could have helped to avert this occurrence but I can only attribute what happened to human error. Neither the cabin attendant coordinator nor the cabin attendant supervisor position were staffed but traffic, while steady, was not what I would call peak traffic and during this time of day these position are not normally staffed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA STARTED AND COMPLETED TKOF WHILE ANOTHER SMA WAS STILL ON THE RWY AFTER LNDG.

Narrative: I WAS PERFORMING DUTIES AT THE LC-1 (LCL CTL) POS WHEN SMA X LANDED ON RWY 18R. HE SLOWED AFTER LNDG AND I INSTRUCTED HIM TO TURN R AND CONTACT GND CTL. (HE WAS APCHING A TXWY AHEAD AND TO HIS R.) I THEN INSTRUCTED SMA Y, WHO HAD BEEN HOLDING SHORT OF THE RWY THAT HE WAS CLRED FOR TKOF. I ANTICIPATED THAT SMA X WOULD MAKE THE TURN AND HOW HE MISSED IT I'LL NEVER KNOW BUT I NOTICED HE HAD BYPASSED THE TURN OFF. SMA Y HAD JUST STARTED HIS DEP ROLL AND I BROADCAST TO HIM TO CANCEL TKOF CLRNC. HE REPLIED IT WAS TOO LATE AND DEPARTED WHILE SMA X WAS STILL ON THE RWY. SMA X WAS WELL DOWN THE RWY (I ESTIMATED 4000 FT WHEN SMA Y ROTATED). IT WAS DARK AND DOWN THE RWY (I ESTIMATE 4000 FT WHEN SMA Y ROTATED). IT WAS DARK AND I JUST LOST THE SMA X IN THE RWY LIGHTS. I COULD MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS ALL DAY LONG AS TO HOW MORE STAFFING IN THE TWR IN THE COORDINATOR POS MIGHT HAVE HELPED OR AS TO HOW A TWR CAB SUPVR IN THE TWR MIGHT HAVE BEEN THAT OTHER SET OF EYES THAT COULD HAVE HELPED TO AVERT THIS OCCURRENCE BUT I CAN ONLY ATTRIBUTE WHAT HAPPENED TO HUMAN ERROR. NEITHER THE CAB COORDINATOR NOR THE CAB SUPVR POS WERE STAFFED BUT TFC, WHILE STEADY, WAS NOT WHAT I WOULD CALL PEAK TFC AND DURING THIS TIME OF DAY THESE POS ARE NOT NORMALLY STAFFED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.