Potential conflict between aircraft taxiing and aircraft taking off. Operational error.

Attributes
ACN	187689
Time
Date	199108
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dsm
State Reference	IA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 100
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	ground : holding ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local controller : ground
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller non radar : 10 controller radar : 9 flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 1500
ASRS Report	187689
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground less severe non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error

Narrative:

Beginning of midshift. 1 person (me) working local, ground, approach, controller in charge, and clearance delivery. I cleared small aircraft X to taxi from 'T' hangars to FBO, crossing runway 23. Then I cleared small aircraft Y for takeoff runway 23. Misjudged, and was looking for flight progress strips, and not watching traffic. Small aircraft Y departed past small aircraft X who held short of runway 23 on his own and he pointed this out to me. No separation lost, but pilot was unimpressed. Dsm ATCT used to work with 2 fpl's, but recently reduced staffing to 1. I was distracted from looking out the window and aircraft X was forgotten. Easy to do on a mid. I had been awake since XA30 am and was starting second shift without sleep (common practice). 1 person working tower and approach after hours is not safe.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: POTENTIAL CONFLICT BTWN ACFT TAXIING AND ACFT TAKING OFF. OPERROR.

Narrative: BEGINNING OF MIDSHIFT. 1 PERSON (ME) WORKING LCL, GND, APCH, CIC, AND CLRNC DELIVERY. I CLRED SMA X TO TAXI FROM 'T' HANGARS TO FBO, XING RWY 23. THEN I CLRED SMA Y FOR TKOF RWY 23. MISJUDGED, AND WAS LOOKING FOR FLT PROGRESS STRIPS, AND NOT WATCHING TFC. SMA Y DEPARTED PAST SMA X WHO HELD SHORT OF RWY 23 ON HIS OWN AND HE POINTED THIS OUT TO ME. NO SEPARATION LOST, BUT PLT WAS UNIMPRESSED. DSM ATCT USED TO WORK WITH 2 FPL'S, BUT RECENTLY REDUCED STAFFING TO 1. I WAS DISTRACTED FROM LOOKING OUT THE WINDOW AND ACFT X WAS FORGOTTEN. EASY TO DO ON A MID. I HAD BEEN AWAKE SINCE XA30 AM AND WAS STARTING SECOND SHIFT WITHOUT SLEEP (COMMON PRACTICE). 1 PERSON WORKING TWR AND APCH AFTER HRS IS NOT SAFE.

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.