Narrative:

Long beach airport was operating in an 'south traffic' confign with runways 16L, 16R, and 12 in use. Local control #1 handles runway 16L. Local control #2 handles runway 16R and both share runway 12. Local control #1 handles runway 12 departures and local control #2 'downs' the runway and handles the runway 12 arrs. The south traffic operation is not nearly as safe an operation as the west traffic confign at long beach airport. Pilots as well as controllers are not as proficient at south traffic operations as west traffic operations. South traffic is much more demanding of pilots and controllers because of the inherent conflicts and complexity. After I had been working local control #1 over 1 hour 20 mins of busy and complex south traffic, a kitfox, aircraft X, called me for departure. I observed what appeared to be appropriate aircraft at the usual departure point for runway 16L and issued a departure (takeoff) clearance to the aircraft X. Very shortly thereafter I heard local control #2 asking about the aircraft departing on runway 16R and ground control attempting to contact the aircraft. I recognized the call sign and type as the aircraft I had just cleared for takeoff on the other runway 16, that being runway 16L. I canceled takeoff clearance, but the aircraft became airborne. I then issued traffic (the opposite direction banner-tow aircraft Y approaching from the southwest) and there was resolution to the possible conflict. The aircraft X was issued takeoff clearance for runway 16L yet departed runway 16R. Aircraft X called the wrong local control frequency (correct frequencys are on the ATIS) for the runway holding short of. Since aircraft do not always start rolling as soon as clearance is issued, the aircraft holding short of runway 16L not moving (immediately) would not indicate anything wrong. I was fatigued after working over 1 hour 20 mins of busy and complex south traffic. It was fortunate that local control #2 was working the nonstandard opposite direction banner tow aircraft Y so there were no aircraft landing or on short final approach to runway 16R. Also, it was fortunate that there were no runway xings occurring at the time the aircraft X departed.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATCT LCL CTLR WORKING ONE OF THE TWO LCL CTL POS IN THE TWR AND UNDER NONSTANDARD CONFIGN, CLRED A SMA FOR TKOF ON RWY 16L. THE ACFT TOOK OFF RWY 16R AND WAS IN CONFLICT WITH A BANNER TOW ACFT BEING WORKED BY LCL CTL #2 POS. LCL CTL #2 SAW THE POTENTIAL CONFLICT AND HAD GND CTL ATTEMPT TO CONTACT THE ERRANT SMA. CONFLICT WAS RESOLVED BY SEE AND AVOID CONCEPT.

Narrative: LONG BEACH ARPT WAS OPERATING IN AN 'S TFC' CONFIGN WITH RWYS 16L, 16R, AND 12 IN USE. LCL CTL #1 HANDLES RWY 16L. LCL CTL #2 HANDLES RWY 16R AND BOTH SHARE RWY 12. LCL CTL #1 HANDLES RWY 12 DEPS AND LCL CTL #2 'DOWNS' THE RWY AND HANDLES THE RWY 12 ARRS. THE S TFC OP IS NOT NEARLY AS SAFE AN OP AS THE W TFC CONFIGN AT LONG BEACH ARPT. PLTS AS WELL AS CTLRS ARE NOT AS PROFICIENT AT S TFC OPS AS W TFC OPS. S TFC IS MUCH MORE DEMANDING OF PLTS AND CTLRS BECAUSE OF THE INHERENT CONFLICTS AND COMPLEXITY. AFTER I HAD BEEN WORKING LCL CTL #1 OVER 1 HR 20 MINS OF BUSY AND COMPLEX S TFC, A KITFOX, ACFT X, CALLED ME FOR DEP. I OBSERVED WHAT APPEARED TO BE APPROPRIATE ACFT AT THE USUAL DEP POINT FOR RWY 16L AND ISSUED A DEP (TKOF) CLRNC TO THE ACFT X. VERY SHORTLY THEREAFTER I HEARD LCL CTL #2 ASKING ABOUT THE ACFT DEPARTING ON RWY 16R AND GND CTL ATTEMPTING TO CONTACT THE ACFT. I RECOGNIZED THE CALL SIGN AND TYPE AS THE ACFT I HAD JUST CLRED FOR TKOF ON THE OTHER RWY 16, THAT BEING RWY 16L. I CANCELED TKOF CLRNC, BUT THE ACFT BECAME AIRBORNE. I THEN ISSUED TFC (THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION BANNER-TOW ACFT Y APCHING FROM THE SW) AND THERE WAS RESOLUTION TO THE POSSIBLE CONFLICT. THE ACFT X WAS ISSUED TKOF CLRNC FOR RWY 16L YET DEPARTED RWY 16R. ACFT X CALLED THE WRONG LCL CTL FREQ (CORRECT FREQS ARE ON THE ATIS) FOR THE RWY HOLDING SHORT OF. SINCE ACFT DO NOT ALWAYS START ROLLING AS SOON AS CLRNC IS ISSUED, THE ACFT HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 16L NOT MOVING (IMMEDIATELY) WOULD NOT INDICATE ANYTHING WRONG. I WAS FATIGUED AFTER WORKING OVER 1 HR 20 MINS OF BUSY AND COMPLEX S TFC. IT WAS FORTUNATE THAT LCL CTL #2 WAS WORKING THE NONSTANDARD OPPOSITE DIRECTION BANNER TOW ACFT Y SO THERE WERE NO ACFT LNDG OR ON SHORT FINAL APCH TO RWY 16R. ALSO, IT WAS FORTUNATE THAT THERE WERE NO RWY XINGS OCCURRING AT THE TIME THE ACFT X DEPARTED.

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.