Narrative:

Departed aircraft without release from approach control. Approach vectored the aircraft around inbound traffic to sfo. No reported loss of separation. Traffic was light, routine and not complex. I had just taken the position and received a briefing 2-3 mins before the error. Traffic was 1 VFR in the pattern runway 30R, 1 air carrier arrival cleared to land, 1 air carrier handoff accepted no communications and 2 IFR departures taxiing, releases needed from 2 different sectors not yet requested. Challenger was an overwater departure to hawaii, second departure was air taxi, brasilia, sbound. I called for release on the CL61 from saratoga sector, they did not issue the release and said they would call back. Obtained release from licke sector on the brasilia. I departed the brasilia and then the challenger, in order of arrival to the runway. Approach called about 1 min after the challenger departed and said that he did not remember releasing him, and that he had a departure off of nuq. I looked at the strips and both had been marked as released and said that I thought he had. Challenger was wbound approximately 2500 ft overhead nuq at this time and the nuq runway 32 departure had just showed up on the radar at 400 ft. Total time elapsed between calling for both releases and departing the CL61 was approximately 2-3 mins. Approach has to coordinate the release of wbound jet departures with the adjacent sector and normally take 2-3 mins to accomplish this, so the time frame was about normal and did not get my attention. During the same time, I noticed that the traffic count had not been done for 2 hours and was filling out that paperwork, which entailed about 10-12 entries and dividing the totals between the 2 hours. I apparently marked the challenger strip as released at some time and did not realize the error. I may have marked the challenger thinking it was the brasilia and then gone back to the traffic count while waiting for the arrival and then knowing that the brasilia was released, marked that strip as released when I departed him. Thus the challenger was incorrectly marked as released and when he got to the runway, I check that he was released and departed him. Factors: second day shift after 2 evening shifts, fourth day of work week, light traffic not difficult or complex. I got complacent, was distraction doing insignificant paperwork. Fatigue and complacency.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A TWR CTLR RELEASED AN IFR CGA ACFT WITHOUT RECEIVING A RELEASE FROM THE DEP CTLR. THE RPTR CLAIMS THAT DISTR AND COMPLACENCY WAS THE CAUSE.

Narrative: DEPARTED ACFT WITHOUT RELEASE FROM APCH CTL. APCH VECTORED THE ACFT AROUND INBOUND TFC TO SFO. NO RPTED LOSS OF SEPARATION. TFC WAS LIGHT, ROUTINE AND NOT COMPLEX. I HAD JUST TAKEN THE POS AND RECEIVED A BRIEFING 2-3 MINS BEFORE THE ERROR. TFC WAS 1 VFR IN THE PATTERN RWY 30R, 1 ACR ARR CLRED TO LAND, 1 ACR HDOF ACCEPTED NO COMS AND 2 IFR DEPS TAXIING, RELEASES NEEDED FROM 2 DIFFERENT SECTORS NOT YET REQUESTED. CHALLENGER WAS AN OVERWATER DEP TO HAWAII, SECOND DEP WAS AIR TAXI, BRASILIA, SBOUND. I CALLED FOR RELEASE ON THE CL61 FROM SARATOGA SECTOR, THEY DID NOT ISSUE THE RELEASE AND SAID THEY WOULD CALL BACK. OBTAINED RELEASE FROM LICKE SECTOR ON THE BRASILIA. I DEPARTED THE BRASILIA AND THEN THE CHALLENGER, IN ORDER OF ARR TO THE RWY. APCH CALLED ABOUT 1 MIN AFTER THE CHALLENGER DEPARTED AND SAID THAT HE DID NOT REMEMBER RELEASING HIM, AND THAT HE HAD A DEP OFF OF NUQ. I LOOKED AT THE STRIPS AND BOTH HAD BEEN MARKED AS RELEASED AND SAID THAT I THOUGHT HE HAD. CHALLENGER WAS WBOUND APPROX 2500 FT OVERHEAD NUQ AT THIS TIME AND THE NUQ RWY 32 DEP HAD JUST SHOWED UP ON THE RADAR AT 400 FT. TOTAL TIME ELAPSED BTWN CALLING FOR BOTH RELEASES AND DEPARTING THE CL61 WAS APPROX 2-3 MINS. APCH HAS TO COORDINATE THE RELEASE OF WBOUND JET DEPS WITH THE ADJACENT SECTOR AND NORMALLY TAKE 2-3 MINS TO ACCOMPLISH THIS, SO THE TIME FRAME WAS ABOUT NORMAL AND DID NOT GET MY ATTN. DURING THE SAME TIME, I NOTICED THAT THE TFC COUNT HAD NOT BEEN DONE FOR 2 HRS AND WAS FILLING OUT THAT PAPERWORK, WHICH ENTAILED ABOUT 10-12 ENTRIES AND DIVIDING THE TOTALS BTWN THE 2 HRS. I APPARENTLY MARKED THE CHALLENGER STRIP AS RELEASED AT SOME TIME AND DID NOT REALIZE THE ERROR. I MAY HAVE MARKED THE CHALLENGER THINKING IT WAS THE BRASILIA AND THEN GONE BACK TO THE TFC COUNT WHILE WAITING FOR THE ARR AND THEN KNOWING THAT THE BRASILIA WAS RELEASED, MARKED THAT STRIP AS RELEASED WHEN I DEPARTED HIM. THUS THE CHALLENGER WAS INCORRECTLY MARKED AS RELEASED AND WHEN HE GOT TO THE RWY, I CHK THAT HE WAS RELEASED AND DEPARTED HIM. FACTORS: SECOND DAY SHIFT AFTER 2 EVENING SHIFTS, FOURTH DAY OF WORK WK, LIGHT TFC NOT DIFFICULT OR COMPLEX. I GOT COMPLACENT, WAS DISTR DOING INSIGNIFICANT PAPERWORK. FATIGUE AND COMPLACENCY.

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.