Narrative:

I was working all tower position combined at the time and had been on position for about 1 hour. I had 1 vehicle; a snow blower; doing turnarounds at taxiway and runway intxns removing snow. I held him short of the runway to allow several arrs to land. Once they landed; I approved turnarounds on the runway till told otherwise. I then placed our memory jogger in place to indicate a vehicle on the runway. I then went over to flight data to make an ATIS. While doing this; I had 2 aircraft call me to land; I had my headset on and was able to clear them to land without going back to the local control position. I scanned the runway. Not seeing anyone on the runway; I cleared both aircraft to land. I then finished the ATIS and it was a rather long one due to the NOTAMS for runway closures and field conditions that had to be on the ATIS. When I returned to the local/tower position; I realized what I had done. I immediately confirmed the vehicle was holding short of the runway before my next arrival. While the vehicle never entered the runway while aircraft were landing; the potential existed for him to be there. Thanks to an alert driver that did not happen. Lesson learned for me was: no more open-ended clearance for turnarounds and don't work the position in a way you're not used to; ie; use all your tools. I like to use the podium we have for the local control position. The person I relieved did not; and I did not replace it after I relieved him. I believe if I had been using the podium the memory jogger would have stood out more and I would have realized what I was doing and corrected it before it happened.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DAY CTLR DESCRIBED NEAR RWY INCURSION WHEN VISUAL MEMORY CUES WERE IN PLACE BUT NOT OBSERVED BECAUSE OF THE CTLR'S LOCATION IN THE TWR CAB.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING ALL TWR POS COMBINED AT THE TIME AND HAD BEEN ON POS FOR ABOUT 1 HR. I HAD 1 VEHICLE; A SNOW BLOWER; DOING TURNAROUNDS AT TXWY AND RWY INTXNS REMOVING SNOW. I HELD HIM SHORT OF THE RWY TO ALLOW SEVERAL ARRS TO LAND. ONCE THEY LANDED; I APPROVED TURNAROUNDS ON THE RWY TILL TOLD OTHERWISE. I THEN PLACED OUR MEMORY JOGGER IN PLACE TO INDICATE A VEHICLE ON THE RWY. I THEN WENT OVER TO FLT DATA TO MAKE AN ATIS. WHILE DOING THIS; I HAD 2 ACFT CALL ME TO LAND; I HAD MY HEADSET ON AND WAS ABLE TO CLR THEM TO LAND WITHOUT GOING BACK TO THE LCL CTL POS. I SCANNED THE RWY. NOT SEEING ANYONE ON THE RWY; I CLRED BOTH ACFT TO LAND. I THEN FINISHED THE ATIS AND IT WAS A RATHER LONG ONE DUE TO THE NOTAMS FOR RWY CLOSURES AND FIELD CONDITIONS THAT HAD TO BE ON THE ATIS. WHEN I RETURNED TO THE LCL/TWR POS; I REALIZED WHAT I HAD DONE. I IMMEDIATELY CONFIRMED THE VEHICLE WAS HOLDING SHORT OF THE RWY BEFORE MY NEXT ARR. WHILE THE VEHICLE NEVER ENTERED THE RWY WHILE ACFT WERE LNDG; THE POTENTIAL EXISTED FOR HIM TO BE THERE. THANKS TO AN ALERT DRIVER THAT DID NOT HAPPEN. LESSON LEARNED FOR ME WAS: NO MORE OPEN-ENDED CLRNC FOR TURNAROUNDS AND DON'T WORK THE POS IN A WAY YOU'RE NOT USED TO; IE; USE ALL YOUR TOOLS. I LIKE TO USE THE PODIUM WE HAVE FOR THE LCL CTL POS. THE PERSON I RELIEVED DID NOT; AND I DID NOT REPLACE IT AFTER I RELIEVED HIM. I BELIEVE IF I HAD BEEN USING THE PODIUM THE MEMORY JOGGER WOULD HAVE STOOD OUT MORE AND I WOULD HAVE REALIZED WHAT I WAS DOING AND CORRECTED IT BEFORE IT HAPPENED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.