Combined position of operation with a PA32 holding in position, a landing PA28 on approach announced that he was going around because of an aircraft on the runway. The controller claims staffing shortage and workload was the main reason of missing the aircraft.

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Attributes
ACN	373547
Time
Date	199707
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lns
State Reference	PA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : tus
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	PA-32 Cherokee Six/Lance/Saratoga
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	ground : holding
Flight Plan	VFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	PA-28 Cherokee/Archer II/Dakota/Pillan/Warrior
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	landing : go around landing other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller military : 4 controller non radar : 6 controller radar : 14 flight time total : 300
ASRS Report	373547
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Short staffed, d-brite just installed today, not operational. Blocks lcls view of runway. Position all combined, so local could get a much needed break. Military G4 had previously landed and ran off the end of our longest runway. Runway was still closed. Traffic was heavy to moderate. Phones ringing, janitor arrived to clean and vacuum the cabin attendant. Numerous inbounds and taxiing departures. Frequency congestion on both ground control and local control. I had just put a PA32 into position to hold. Had cleared a PA28 to land. Then I caught a king air taxiing to the wrong runway. I got him turned around. When the PA28 advised he was going around, PA32 was on runway. Also while this was going on I had a military helicopter flying over tower and the disabled G4 taking pictures, loud and distracting. I've argued and argued that we were short staffed but to deaf ears. I can only look forward to next yr when this place goes contract. I'm going to a well staffed or over-staffed facility. Primary cause: numerous distractions and combined position.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMBINED POS OF OP WITH A PA32 HOLDING IN POS, A LNDG PA28 ON APCH ANNOUNCED THAT HE WAS GOING AROUND BECAUSE OF AN ACFT ON THE RWY. THE CTLR CLAIMS STAFFING SHORTAGE AND WORKLOAD WAS THE MAIN REASON OF MISSING THE ACFT.

Narrative: SHORT STAFFED, D-BRITE JUST INSTALLED TODAY, NOT OPERATIONAL. BLOCKS LCLS VIEW OF RWY. POS ALL COMBINED, SO LCL COULD GET A MUCH NEEDED BREAK. MIL G4 HAD PREVIOUSLY LANDED AND RAN OFF THE END OF OUR LONGEST RWY. RWY WAS STILL CLOSED. TFC WAS HVY TO MODERATE. PHONES RINGING, JANITOR ARRIVED TO CLEAN AND VACUUM THE CAB. NUMEROUS INBOUNDS AND TAXIING DEPS. FREQ CONGESTION ON BOTH GND CTL AND LCL CTL. I HAD JUST PUT A PA32 INTO POS TO HOLD. HAD CLRED A PA28 TO LAND. THEN I CAUGHT A KING AIR TAXIING TO THE WRONG RWY. I GOT HIM TURNED AROUND. WHEN THE PA28 ADVISED HE WAS GOING AROUND, PA32 WAS ON RWY. ALSO WHILE THIS WAS GOING ON I HAD A MIL HELI FLYING OVER TWR AND THE DISABLED G4 TAKING PICTURES, LOUD AND DISTRACTING. I'VE ARGUED AND ARGUED THAT WE WERE SHORT STAFFED BUT TO DEAF EARS. I CAN ONLY LOOK FORWARD TO NEXT YR WHEN THIS PLACE GOES CONTRACT. I'M GOING TO A WELL STAFFED OR OVER-STAFFED FACILITY. PRIMARY CAUSE: NUMEROUS DISTRACTIONS AND COMBINED POS.

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.