Narrative:

I was working ar/dr at dlh ATCT. At about XA44 P.M, I received a NOTAM from flight data that hib runway 13/31 was closed. At about XB13 P.M., pnm flight service called requesting a clearance for air carrier X, an light transport off runway 31. A clearance was issued with a void time of XB20 at approximately XB16 P.M. I realized that runway 31 at hib was closed. I attempted contact with pnm via service F to cancel the clearance. I was having difficulty getting in touch with pnm, so I asked an aircraft in the vicinity of hib to attempt contact with air carrier X on 123.0 (hib CTAF), and if he did, to cancel the clearance. The aircraft called back and advised air carrier X had already departed. Supplemental information from acn 160239: all computers were down so we got a manual release over the phone and I called FSS for a complete WX briefing to msp. There was no mention of runway closures or intent to close runways, but FSS did relay that the braking action was poor, and I gave PIREP that braking action was good and runway 31 was, for the most part, dry and clear. FSS said he would contact hib for update. We departed the gate but had to return for mechanical reasons. After very short delay (less than 1 hour) we taxied out and received our IFR from princeton radio to depart 31, clearance void if not off by :20. Time then was :13 and 3/4. On the takeoff roll an small aircraft tried calling us on CTAF but we did not answer until we were safely airborne. He said dlh (our departure control) was trying to contact us saying our clearance was void! Now airborne we could talk directly with dlh, and after giving us our climb clearance, he asked if we knew runway 13-31 was just notamed closed (apparently for snow removal). We were flying an light transport, so this was the only runway at hib that we could use. After more radio talk and following up with a phone call to the supervisor at dlh, it was determined that the clearance had been issued in error as the controller did not see the NOTAM until it was too late. He explained it was a simple human error by a very experienced controller. The NOTAM had been issued after our latest WX briefing, and the airport manager closed the runway while we were boarding a flight, west/O even notifying our company.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: APCH CTLR RELEASED AN IFR ACFT OFF AN UNCONTROLLED ARPT AND RWY THAT WAS NOTAMED CLOSED FOR NOW REMOVAL.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING AR/DR AT DLH ATCT. AT ABOUT XA44 P.M, I RECEIVED A NOTAM FROM FLT DATA THAT HIB RWY 13/31 WAS CLOSED. AT ABOUT XB13 P.M., PNM FLT SVC CALLED REQUESTING A CLRNC FOR ACR X, AN LTT OFF RWY 31. A CLRNC WAS ISSUED WITH A VOID TIME OF XB20 AT APPROX XB16 P.M. I REALIZED THAT RWY 31 AT HIB WAS CLOSED. I ATTEMPTED CONTACT WITH PNM VIA SVC F TO CANCEL THE CLRNC. I WAS HAVING DIFFICULTY GETTING IN TOUCH WITH PNM, SO I ASKED AN ACFT IN THE VICINITY OF HIB TO ATTEMPT CONTACT WITH ACR X ON 123.0 (HIB CTAF), AND IF HE DID, TO CANCEL THE CLRNC. THE ACFT CALLED BACK AND ADVISED ACR X HAD ALREADY DEPARTED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 160239: ALL COMPUTERS WERE DOWN SO WE GOT A MANUAL RELEASE OVER THE PHONE AND I CALLED FSS FOR A COMPLETE WX BRIEFING TO MSP. THERE WAS NO MENTION OF RWY CLOSURES OR INTENT TO CLOSE RWYS, BUT FSS DID RELAY THAT THE BRAKING ACTION WAS POOR, AND I GAVE PIREP THAT BRAKING ACTION WAS GOOD AND RWY 31 WAS, FOR THE MOST PART, DRY AND CLR. FSS SAID HE WOULD CONTACT HIB FOR UPDATE. WE DEPARTED THE GATE BUT HAD TO RETURN FOR MECHANICAL REASONS. AFTER VERY SHORT DELAY (LESS THAN 1 HR) WE TAXIED OUT AND RECEIVED OUR IFR FROM PRINCETON RADIO TO DEPART 31, CLRNC VOID IF NOT OFF BY :20. TIME THEN WAS :13 AND 3/4. ON THE TKOF ROLL AN SMA TRIED CALLING US ON CTAF BUT WE DID NOT ANSWER UNTIL WE WERE SAFELY AIRBORNE. HE SAID DLH (OUR DEP CTL) WAS TRYING TO CONTACT US SAYING OUR CLRNC WAS VOID! NOW AIRBORNE WE COULD TALK DIRECTLY WITH DLH, AND AFTER GIVING US OUR CLB CLRNC, HE ASKED IF WE KNEW RWY 13-31 WAS JUST NOTAMED CLOSED (APPARENTLY FOR SNOW REMOVAL). WE WERE FLYING AN LTT, SO THIS WAS THE ONLY RWY AT HIB THAT WE COULD USE. AFTER MORE RADIO TALK AND FOLLOWING UP WITH A PHONE CALL TO THE SUPVR AT DLH, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE CLRNC HAD BEEN ISSUED IN ERROR AS THE CTLR DID NOT SEE THE NOTAM UNTIL IT WAS TOO LATE. HE EXPLAINED IT WAS A SIMPLE HUMAN ERROR BY A VERY EXPERIENCED CTLR. THE NOTAM HAD BEEN ISSUED AFTER OUR LATEST WX BRIEFING, AND THE ARPT MGR CLOSED THE RWY WHILE WE WERE BOARDING A FLT, W/O EVEN NOTIFYING OUR COMPANY.

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