Narrative:

While working ground control, the phone rang. The local controller answered since no one else was available. It was her dentist. I assumed it would be a short call and continued my duties. The conversation continued for quite a while. I thought I should take the local position also, but did not. The local controller continued working traffic while talking to the dentist. At 1 point, aircraft X exited runway 35L. I asked local for crossing across 'both runways' (runway 32 and 35R). She looked at me and nodded in the affirmative. I issued the crossing clrncs and activated the rid lights runway 32 and runway 35R (aural alarm broken). I then looked at the BRITE to observe her traffic for a bit. When I looked at taxiway K to observe the cherokee X, he was crossing runway 35R. At that moment in my peripheral vision I saw a cessna Y landing on the runway. Neither pilot said anything and they both continued. In hindsight: 1) I was controller in charge and should have answered phone or let it ring. 2) since she answered I should have taken over her duties and demanded a briefing. 3) I should have waited for and/or demanded the correct response phraseology from local, ie, 'cross runway 32 and runway 35R' instead of accepting a nod of the head (she thought I only asked to cross runway 32). 4)although I scanned the runway and approach end final I failed to see the cessna. I could have been more thorough. Supplemental information from acn 294762: I was working local control. I had a cessna doing touch-and-goes on runway 35R. I also had a cherokee land on runway 35L. I turned the cherokee off at taxiway K midfield and contact ground. I then cleared the cessna for touch-and-go runway 35R. During this time the phone rang. I was waiting for a call from my dentist. I should have had him call back, but I didn't. Now the cherokee needed to cross 2 runways to get to the GA ramp including runway 35R. Ground then asked me if he could cross, but I thought he said 'cross runway 32.' I shook my head yes and said 'cross.' I assumed he would hold short of runway 35R. The cherokee crossed both runways with the cessna on final to runway 35R. I assumed something I never should have. I assumed ground knew I had traffic on runway 35R and I thought he asked to cross runway 32 only. I should have used the correct phraseology 'cross runway 32 hold short runway 35R.' but I didn't.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA32 LANDED ON OCCUPIED RWY HAD LTSS FROM C172. RWY INCURSION. SYS ERROR.

Narrative: WHILE WORKING GND CTL, THE PHONE RANG. THE LCL CTLR ANSWERED SINCE NO ONE ELSE WAS AVAILABLE. IT WAS HER DENTIST. I ASSUMED IT WOULD BE A SHORT CALL AND CONTINUED MY DUTIES. THE CONVERSATION CONTINUED FOR QUITE A WHILE. I THOUGHT I SHOULD TAKE THE LCL POS ALSO, BUT DID NOT. THE LCL CTLR CONTINUED WORKING TFC WHILE TALKING TO THE DENTIST. AT 1 POINT, ACFT X EXITED RWY 35L. I ASKED LCL FOR XING ACROSS 'BOTH RWYS' (RWY 32 AND 35R). SHE LOOKED AT ME AND NODDED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE. I ISSUED THE XING CLRNCS AND ACTIVATED THE RID LIGHTS RWY 32 AND RWY 35R (AURAL ALARM BROKEN). I THEN LOOKED AT THE BRITE TO OBSERVE HER TFC FOR A BIT. WHEN I LOOKED AT TXWY K TO OBSERVE THE CHEROKEE X, HE WAS XING RWY 35R. AT THAT MOMENT IN MY PERIPHERAL VISION I SAW A CESSNA Y LNDG ON THE RWY. NEITHER PLT SAID ANYTHING AND THEY BOTH CONTINUED. IN HINDSIGHT: 1) I WAS CTLR IN CHARGE AND SHOULD HAVE ANSWERED PHONE OR LET IT RING. 2) SINCE SHE ANSWERED I SHOULD HAVE TAKEN OVER HER DUTIES AND DEMANDED A BRIEFING. 3) I SHOULD HAVE WAITED FOR AND/OR DEMANDED THE CORRECT RESPONSE PHRASEOLOGY FROM LCL, IE, 'CROSS RWY 32 AND RWY 35R' INSTEAD OF ACCEPTING A NOD OF THE HEAD (SHE THOUGHT I ONLY ASKED TO CROSS RWY 32). 4)ALTHOUGH I SCANNED THE RWY AND APCH END FINAL I FAILED TO SEE THE CESSNA. I COULD HAVE BEEN MORE THOROUGH. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 294762: I WAS WORKING LCL CTL. I HAD A CESSNA DOING TOUCH-AND-GOES ON RWY 35R. I ALSO HAD A CHEROKEE LAND ON RWY 35L. I TURNED THE CHEROKEE OFF AT TXWY K MIDFIELD AND CONTACT GND. I THEN CLRED THE CESSNA FOR TOUCH-AND-GO RWY 35R. DURING THIS TIME THE PHONE RANG. I WAS WAITING FOR A CALL FROM MY DENTIST. I SHOULD HAVE HAD HIM CALL BACK, BUT I DIDN'T. NOW THE CHEROKEE NEEDED TO CROSS 2 RWYS TO GET TO THE GA RAMP INCLUDING RWY 35R. GND THEN ASKED ME IF HE COULD CROSS, BUT I THOUGHT HE SAID 'CROSS RWY 32.' I SHOOK MY HEAD YES AND SAID 'CROSS.' I ASSUMED HE WOULD HOLD SHORT OF RWY 35R. THE CHEROKEE CROSSED BOTH RWYS WITH THE CESSNA ON FINAL TO RWY 35R. I ASSUMED SOMETHING I NEVER SHOULD HAVE. I ASSUMED GND KNEW I HAD TFC ON RWY 35R AND I THOUGHT HE ASKED TO CROSS RWY 32 ONLY. I SHOULD HAVE USED THE CORRECT PHRASEOLOGY 'CROSS RWY 32 HOLD SHORT RWY 35R.' BUT I DIDN'T.

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.