Sfo controller described incident when flight crew attempted to take off on closed runway.

Attributes
ACN	696188
Time
Date	200603
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sfo.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Brasilia EMB-120 All Series
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : ground controller : local
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller limited radar : 13.5 controller radar : 2.5 controller time certified in position1 : 6 controller time certified in position2 : 2
ASRS Report	696188
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

Aircraft X requested departure runway 28L intersection east. Normally they request runway 28R intersection east; but runway 28R was closed at the time. The ground controller taxied the aircraft out. The tower (local) controller verified the distance remaining for the intersection departure (3950 ft runway 28L/intersection east versus 3500 ft runway 28R/intersection east) at intersection east by runway 28L; and cleared the aircraft for takeoff. The aircraft crossed runway 28L and was headed toward runway 28R. The tower controller advised the pilots that the ATIS contained the runway closure on it. The pilots snapped back the ATIS wasn't broadcasting. We checked it in the tower and it was broadcasting. I think we have covered all of the bases as a facility as we could have. The pilots must have been so focused on runway 28R intersection east that they could not be deterred.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SFO CTLR DESCRIBED INCIDENT WHEN FLT CREW ATTEMPTED TO TAKE OFF ON CLOSED RWY.

Narrative: ACFT X REQUESTED DEP RWY 28L INTXN E. NORMALLY THEY REQUEST RWY 28R INTXN E; BUT RWY 28R WAS CLOSED AT THE TIME. THE GND CTLR TAXIED THE ACFT OUT. THE TWR (LCL) CTLR VERIFIED THE DISTANCE REMAINING FOR THE INTXN DEP (3950 FT RWY 28L/INTXN E VERSUS 3500 FT RWY 28R/INTXN E) AT INTXN E BY RWY 28L; AND CLRED THE ACFT FOR TKOF. THE ACFT CROSSED RWY 28L AND WAS HEADED TOWARD RWY 28R. THE TWR CTLR ADVISED THE PLTS THAT THE ATIS CONTAINED THE RWY CLOSURE ON IT. THE PLTS SNAPPED BACK THE ATIS WASN'T BROADCASTING. WE CHKED IT IN THE TWR AND IT WAS BROADCASTING. I THINK WE HAVE COVERED ALL OF THE BASES AS A FACILITY AS WE COULD HAVE. THE PLTS MUST HAVE BEEN SO FOCUSED ON RWY 28R INTXN E THAT THEY COULD NOT BE DETERRED.

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.