Intrafac coordination between the ATCT ground and local control position broke down and a vehicle was cleared to cross an active runway as a B737 was rotating on takeoff. Vehicle cleared the runway immediately upon seeing the aircraft.

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Attributes
ACN	344024
Time
Date	199608
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sdf
State Reference	KY
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller radar : 5
ASRS Report	344024
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : ground
Experience	controller non radar : 4 controller radar : 6 controller supervisory : 4
ASRS Report	343375
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical incursion : runway non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 500 vertical : 0
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error Intra Facility Coordination Failure
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

An air carrier B737 was cleared for takeoff on runway 19. I scanned the runway prior to his takeoff, the runway was clear. As the aircraft rotated, he reported a truck on the runway. The truck exited the runway to the west. The runway had been returned to local's control. The ground controller forgot the runway wasn't his control and cleared the vehicle to cross the runway. Supplemental information from acn 343375: I was working ground control, had control of runway 19 and had been crossing it with vehicles for about an hour. The afternoon push was just starting, and I had taxied several aircraft to runway 19. I did not tell local that the runway was his control. Local stated that he did coordinate the runway and passed the stop strip, which had fallen on the floor. I did not see it and did not hear local clear the aircraft for takeoff or he hear me clear the vehicle to cross. It wasn't until the aircraft stated that a vehicle had crossed in front of him that I realized what had happened. Due to construction of new runways at louisville, we have many vehicles operating around and on the airport.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INTRAFAC COORD BTWN THE ATCT GND AND LCL CTL POS BROKE DOWN AND A VEHICLE WAS CLRED TO CROSS AN ACTIVE RWY AS A B737 WAS ROTATING ON TKOF. VEHICLE CLRED THE RWY IMMEDIATELY UPON SEEING THE ACFT.

Narrative: AN ACR B737 WAS CLRED FOR TKOF ON RWY 19. I SCANNED THE RWY PRIOR TO HIS TKOF, THE RWY WAS CLR. AS THE ACFT ROTATED, HE RPTED A TRUCK ON THE RWY. THE TRUCK EXITED THE RWY TO THE W. THE RWY HAD BEEN RETURNED TO LCL'S CTL. THE GND CTLR FORGOT THE RWY WASN'T HIS CTL AND CLRED THE VEHICLE TO CROSS THE RWY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 343375: I WAS WORKING GND CTL, HAD CTL OF RWY 19 AND HAD BEEN XING IT WITH VEHICLES FOR ABOUT AN HR. THE AFTERNOON PUSH WAS JUST STARTING, AND I HAD TAXIED SEVERAL ACFT TO RWY 19. I DID NOT TELL LCL THAT THE RWY WAS HIS CTL. LCL STATED THAT HE DID COORDINATE THE RWY AND PASSED THE STOP STRIP, WHICH HAD FALLEN ON THE FLOOR. I DID NOT SEE IT AND DID NOT HEAR LCL CLR THE ACFT FOR TKOF OR HE HEAR ME CLR THE VEHICLE TO CROSS. IT WASN'T UNTIL THE ACFT STATED THAT A VEHICLE HAD CROSSED IN FRONT OF HIM THAT I REALIZED WHAT HAD HAPPENED. DUE TO CONSTRUCTION OF NEW RWYS AT LOUISVILLE, WE HAVE MANY VEHICLES OPERATING AROUND AND ON THE ARPT.

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.