Narrative:

Late afternoon tracab operation with local/ground/controller in charge combined. WX was VFR with very light traffic. Runway 28R operation with calm winds. Runway check in progress. Rid (runway incursion device) was operating in lights and voice mode. Recorded briefing was given using the checklist, which included one vehicle doing a very slow runway check and no other air or ground traffic. Signed on position log immediately after briefing and began performing controller in charge duties. Collected strips for hourly traffic count and zeroed traffic counter. Recorded local count and sorted strips. Signed on controller in charge log and made corresponding computer log entry. Off going controller recorded ATIS and advised when it was done. Broadcast ATIS code change while counting traffic. Counted and recorded traffic count. Lifeguard checked on approach to runway 28R. Issued landing clearance while counting and recording traffic. Did not do a visual scan of the runway when clearance was issued. Also, was not standing in close proximity to the rid (runway incursion device) when issuing clearance. Completed controller in charge duties and changed the entertainment radio station. Checked lifeguard for landing gear (on 1/2 mi final -- over airport road) and issued wind check. Vehicle advised that he was still on the runway (wbound on runway 28R, 3500 ft from arrival end). Instructed vehicle to exit the runway (taxiway D, 4560 ft from approach end, was the first available turnoff). Lifeguard crossed threshold as vehicle was beginning to exit. Instructed to taxi to park. Instructed vehicle to continue runway check. Analysis: got involved in controller in charge duties immediately after assuming the position. Did not remain aware of runway check in progress. Issued landing clearance without doing a complete scan of the runway. Was not standing adjacent to the position when clearance was issued. Did not respond to rid alerts during landing clearance. Did not rescan the runway at the same time landing gear was checked. Anticipated separation would be achieved prior to landing. Did not take aggressive action to clear the runway (ie, exit into grass). Did not send aircraft around. Conclusions: when available, have a stand-alone controller in charge. Continue to record briefings with checklist. Prepare before assuming position (pour coffee, collect strips, get pen, adjust radio, etc). Plan for a few mins of settling into the position without any distrs. (The first few mins on position are well documented as a vulnerable time for errors.) do not get distraction from long-standing habits and techniques, ie, full runway scan when issuing clrncs. Adjust habits and techniques and develop new ones as necessary. Be adjacent to position whenever issuing control instructions (not pouring coffee, etc). From a location adjacent to the position, scan the console instruments and BRITE when issuing clrncs. (You may be able to see from the water fountain, but the closer to the rid, the easier it is to hear.) don't anticipate separation when caught off guard ('oh, this will work anyway'). Anticipated separation should be a preplanned action, well thought out before hand. Be aggressive in assuring separation when it is necessary ('exit into the grass'). Use all the tools available, especially the simplest. (Send the aircraft around.)

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BIL CTLR EXPERIENCED OPERROR WITH VEHICLE ON RWY AND LNDG TFC.

Narrative: LATE AFTERNOON TRACAB OP WITH LCL/GND/CIC COMBINED. WX WAS VFR WITH VERY LIGHT TFC. RWY 28R OP WITH CALM WINDS. RWY CHK IN PROGRESS. RID (RWY INCURSION DEVICE) WAS OPERATING IN LIGHTS AND VOICE MODE. RECORDED BRIEFING WAS GIVEN USING THE CHKLIST, WHICH INCLUDED ONE VEHICLE DOING A VERY SLOW RWY CHK AND NO OTHER AIR OR GND TFC. SIGNED ON POS LOG IMMEDIATELY AFTER BRIEFING AND BEGAN PERFORMING CIC DUTIES. COLLECTED STRIPS FOR HRLY TFC COUNT AND ZEROED TFC COUNTER. RECORDED LCL COUNT AND SORTED STRIPS. SIGNED ON CIC LOG AND MADE CORRESPONDING COMPUTER LOG ENTRY. OFF GOING CTLR RECORDED ATIS AND ADVISED WHEN IT WAS DONE. BROADCAST ATIS CODE CHANGE WHILE COUNTING TFC. COUNTED AND RECORDED TFC COUNT. LIFEGUARD CHKED ON APCH TO RWY 28R. ISSUED LNDG CLRNC WHILE COUNTING AND RECORDING TFC. DID NOT DO A VISUAL SCAN OF THE RWY WHEN CLRNC WAS ISSUED. ALSO, WAS NOT STANDING IN CLOSE PROX TO THE RID (RWY INCURSION DEVICE) WHEN ISSUING CLRNC. COMPLETED CIC DUTIES AND CHANGED THE ENTERTAINMENT RADIO STATION. CHKED LIFEGUARD FOR LNDG GEAR (ON 1/2 MI FINAL -- OVER ARPT ROAD) AND ISSUED WIND CHK. VEHICLE ADVISED THAT HE WAS STILL ON THE RWY (WBOUND ON RWY 28R, 3500 FT FROM ARR END). INSTRUCTED VEHICLE TO EXIT THE RWY (TXWY D, 4560 FT FROM APCH END, WAS THE FIRST AVAILABLE TURNOFF). LIFEGUARD CROSSED THRESHOLD AS VEHICLE WAS BEGINNING TO EXIT. INSTRUCTED TO TAXI TO PARK. INSTRUCTED VEHICLE TO CONTINUE RWY CHK. ANALYSIS: GOT INVOLVED IN CIC DUTIES IMMEDIATELY AFTER ASSUMING THE POS. DID NOT REMAIN AWARE OF RWY CHK IN PROGRESS. ISSUED LNDG CLRNC WITHOUT DOING A COMPLETE SCAN OF THE RWY. WAS NOT STANDING ADJACENT TO THE POS WHEN CLRNC WAS ISSUED. DID NOT RESPOND TO RID ALERTS DURING LNDG CLRNC. DID NOT RESCAN THE RWY AT THE SAME TIME LNDG GEAR WAS CHKED. ANTICIPATED SEPARATION WOULD BE ACHIEVED PRIOR TO LNDG. DID NOT TAKE AGGRESSIVE ACTION TO CLR THE RWY (IE, EXIT INTO GRASS). DID NOT SEND ACFT AROUND. CONCLUSIONS: WHEN AVAILABLE, HAVE A STAND-ALONE CIC. CONTINUE TO RECORD BRIEFINGS WITH CHKLIST. PREPARE BEFORE ASSUMING POS (POUR COFFEE, COLLECT STRIPS, GET PEN, ADJUST RADIO, ETC). PLAN FOR A FEW MINS OF SETTLING INTO THE POS WITHOUT ANY DISTRS. (THE FIRST FEW MINS ON POS ARE WELL DOCUMENTED AS A VULNERABLE TIME FOR ERRORS.) DO NOT GET DISTR FROM LONG-STANDING HABITS AND TECHNIQUES, IE, FULL RWY SCAN WHEN ISSUING CLRNCS. ADJUST HABITS AND TECHNIQUES AND DEVELOP NEW ONES AS NECESSARY. BE ADJACENT TO POS WHENEVER ISSUING CTL INSTRUCTIONS (NOT POURING COFFEE, ETC). FROM A LOCATION ADJACENT TO THE POS, SCAN THE CONSOLE INSTS AND BRITE WHEN ISSUING CLRNCS. (YOU MAY BE ABLE TO SEE FROM THE WATER FOUNTAIN, BUT THE CLOSER TO THE RID, THE EASIER IT IS TO HEAR.) DON'T ANTICIPATE SEPARATION WHEN CAUGHT OFF GUARD ('OH, THIS WILL WORK ANYWAY'). ANTICIPATED SEPARATION SHOULD BE A PREPLANNED ACTION, WELL THOUGHT OUT BEFORE HAND. BE AGGRESSIVE IN ASSURING SEPARATION WHEN IT IS NECESSARY ('EXIT INTO THE GRASS'). USE ALL THE TOOLS AVAILABLE, ESPECIALLY THE SIMPLEST. (SEND THE ACFT AROUND.)

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.