Narrative:

Airport operations closed runway 18L for maintenance at XA00. I turned off the runway lights and put the closure on the ATIS. 20 mins later I (working alone in the tower) taxied an aircraft to the closed runway and issued a takeoff clearance forgetting that the runway was closed. The aircraft departed over vehicles on the runway. Factors to include: 1) airport operations -- when closing a runway and having vehicles operate on the runway they should be better illuminated. They were not clearly visible from the tower. 2) pilot -- the pilot did not listen to the ATIS or question why the runway lights were turned off. He also did not see the vehicle. 3) FAA -- although the FAA knows runway incursions to be a problem they had no memory aids to alert the controller that the runway was closed. No asde, rids, nor memory strips. Supplemental information from acn 410622: upon taxiing out of clt, I picked up my IFR clearance from tower and taxi instructions. The controller told me to taxi to runway 18L at intersection a, which I did. The controller cleared me for takeoff from runway 18L at intersection a and to fly heading 210 degrees, which I did. Later I was informed by clt approach control by telephone that runway 18L was closed, and that I came really close to hitting a vehicle that was on the runway.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ARPT OPS CLOSES RWY AND NOTIFIES THE CLT TWR. CTLR PUTS INFO ON ATIS. CTLR CLRS IFR ACFT TO TAXI TO THE CLOSED RWY AND THEN CLRS THE ACFT FOR TKOF.

Narrative: ARPT OPS CLOSED RWY 18L FOR MAINT AT XA00. I TURNED OFF THE RWY LIGHTS AND PUT THE CLOSURE ON THE ATIS. 20 MINS LATER I (WORKING ALONE IN THE TWR) TAXIED AN ACFT TO THE CLOSED RWY AND ISSUED A TKOF CLRNC FORGETTING THAT THE RWY WAS CLOSED. THE ACFT DEPARTED OVER VEHICLES ON THE RWY. FACTORS TO INCLUDE: 1) ARPT OPS -- WHEN CLOSING A RWY AND HAVING VEHICLES OPERATE ON THE RWY THEY SHOULD BE BETTER ILLUMINATED. THEY WERE NOT CLRLY VISIBLE FROM THE TWR. 2) PLT -- THE PLT DID NOT LISTEN TO THE ATIS OR QUESTION WHY THE RWY LIGHTS WERE TURNED OFF. HE ALSO DID NOT SEE THE VEHICLE. 3) FAA -- ALTHOUGH THE FAA KNOWS RWY INCURSIONS TO BE A PROB THEY HAD NO MEMORY AIDS TO ALERT THE CTLR THAT THE RWY WAS CLOSED. NO ASDE, RIDS, NOR MEMORY STRIPS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 410622: UPON TAXIING OUT OF CLT, I PICKED UP MY IFR CLRNC FROM TWR AND TAXI INSTRUCTIONS. THE CTLR TOLD ME TO TAXI TO RWY 18L AT INTXN A, WHICH I DID. THE CTLR CLRED ME FOR TKOF FROM RWY 18L AT INTXN A AND TO FLY HDG 210 DEGS, WHICH I DID. LATER I WAS INFORMED BY CLT APCH CTL BY TELEPHONE THAT RWY 18L WAS CLOSED, AND THAT I CAME REALLY CLOSE TO HITTING A VEHICLE THAT WAS ON THE RWY.

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.