Narrative:

(Name) was on ground control using the hand-held phone receiver, and I was on local control. Since (name) was using the hand-held receiver, all the xmissions to his position were on the speaker. Several times he had to ask who was calling him and I would tell him the aircraft call sign or veh # if I had heard the transmission. He left his position to go to the radio (am/FM stereo) which is located on the window sill directly behind local control. He was looking for a specific ''70's' music station. A local ground veh called for clearance to the radar site. I put air carrier into position to hold to wait approximately 5-10 seconds for his esp (en route spacing program) release time. (Name) left the radio to go to his position at ground control and said something behind me, then said, 'you find that '70's station for me.' I said, 'veh,' thinking he again didn't know who called, especially since his attention was directed to the radio. I scanned the runway and cleared air carrier for takeoff. I then heard (name) yelling, 'hold short, hold short.' I looked up and saw the veh putting on the brakes to stop before entering the runway. The veh stopped on the line and air carrier continued his departure. I was never asked to cross the runway via landlines. I never said the word cross, nor motioned to him in anyway--nothing was coordinated. This was a serious error made by an alb supervisor. We are to use the landlines for all coordination in crossing an active runway here at alb. We need to be more strict about adhering to procedures set for us. This would not have occurred had this supervisor been paying attention to his position, and working on a proper headset.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: VEHICLE CLEARED ACROSS RWY WHILE LGT DEPARTED.

Narrative: (NAME) WAS ON GND CTL USING THE HAND-HELD PHONE RECEIVER, AND I WAS ON LCL CTL. SINCE (NAME) WAS USING THE HAND-HELD RECEIVER, ALL THE XMISSIONS TO HIS POS WERE ON THE SPEAKER. SEVERAL TIMES HE HAD TO ASK WHO WAS CALLING HIM AND I WOULD TELL HIM THE ACFT CALL SIGN OR VEH # IF I HAD HEARD THE XMISSION. HE LEFT HIS POS TO GO TO THE RADIO (AM/FM STEREO) WHICH IS LOCATED ON THE WINDOW SILL DIRECTLY BEHIND LCL CTL. HE WAS LOOKING FOR A SPECIFIC ''70'S' MUSIC STATION. A LCL GND VEH CALLED FOR CLRNC TO THE RADAR SITE. I PUT ACR INTO POS TO HOLD TO WAIT APPROX 5-10 SECS FOR HIS ESP (ENRTE SPACING PROGRAM) RELEASE TIME. (NAME) LEFT THE RADIO TO GO TO HIS POS AT GND CTL AND SAID SOMETHING BEHIND ME, THEN SAID, 'YOU FIND THAT '70'S STATION FOR ME.' I SAID, 'VEH,' THINKING HE AGAIN DIDN'T KNOW WHO CALLED, ESPECIALLY SINCE HIS ATTN WAS DIRECTED TO THE RADIO. I SCANNED THE RWY AND CLRED ACR FOR TKOF. I THEN HEARD (NAME) YELLING, 'HOLD SHORT, HOLD SHORT.' I LOOKED UP AND SAW THE VEH PUTTING ON THE BRAKES TO STOP BEFORE ENTERING THE RWY. THE VEH STOPPED ON THE LINE AND ACR CONTINUED HIS DEP. I WAS NEVER ASKED TO CROSS THE RWY VIA LANDLINES. I NEVER SAID THE WORD CROSS, NOR MOTIONED TO HIM IN ANYWAY--NOTHING WAS COORDINATED. THIS WAS A SERIOUS ERROR MADE BY AN ALB SUPVR. WE ARE TO USE THE LANDLINES FOR ALL COORD IN XING AN ACTIVE RWY HERE AT ALB. WE NEED TO BE MORE STRICT ABOUT ADHERING TO PROCS SET FOR US. THIS WOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED HAD THIS SUPVR BEEN PAYING ATTN TO HIS POS, AND WORKING ON A PROPER HEADSET.

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.