Narrative:

I was working local control. Ground control had a C172 waiting to cross runway 10L near the departure end; and had coordinated crossing J2 to E1. More time than usual was necessary due to construction; which closed E2; the taxiway intersection directly opposite J2. Therefore the C172 would have to cross runway 10L by taxiing on the runway for 1000 ft to the end; and turn right at E1. A cpr jet (cj) that was destined to an FBO on the north side landed runway 10L; and was slowing to turn left at the last exit to the left (J2). A regional jet (rj) was on final for runway 10L; approximately 5 mi behind the cj. Earlier; ground control had coordinated crossing the C172 after the cj landed; and before the rj would cross the threshold. This would've worked well had the cj been able to exit prior to J2. However; the cj was too fast to exit at J3. Being as the cj couldn't make J3; I told the pilot to hold short of J2 so that we could get the C172 to clear the intersection (and hurry down the runway to cross). However; I couldn't get ground control on board with this plan quickly enough. The situation was now rapidly deteriorating; as the cj was slowing to a stop; 1000 ft from the end. His immediate exit to the left was blocked by the C172; and his immediate exit to the right was blocked by construction. I attempted plan B by asking the rj to land runway 10R. The pilot said unable. Before I had to say 'go around' I asked the cj if he could exit left; and get by the C172. He managed to do this. The 'go around' didn't have to be issued. Ground control apologized for the mess; as the C172 wouldn't have been there if it hadn't been for his earlier error. What occurred earlier was the C172 had landed runway 10L; and exited to the right at E4. This aircraft had to taxi to the south side of the airport. I heard ground control clear the aircraft to taxi and hold short of runway 10R at taxiway F. Apparently; not long after that; ground control cleared 2 rj's to taxi to runway 10L; as ground control found himself faced with the C172 and 2 rj's; head-to-head on taxiway east. Ground control resolved this by getting my approval to cross runway 10L with his C172 at E3-J3. That's how the C172 ended up at J2; in the way. Ground control got himself into this position because of two reasons. One; he simply forgot about the C172. And two; because the view of taxiway east; where the C172 was; is obstructed from view from the ground control position. Massive portions of our movement areas (txwys and runways) are obstructed from view by our ill-designed tower cabin attendant. To view all of our movement areas; one has to constantly pace from the north side of the tower cabin attendant to the south side of the tower cabin attendant (or stand on the 13 inch riser). Rarely do controllers use the riser and rarely does anyone pace back and forth. Instead; memory is relied upon.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CMH CTLR DESCRIBED GND CONFLICT; INDICATING THE PRIMARY PROB WAS THE RESTR TWR VISIBILITY TO ALL LOCATIONS ON THE ARPT.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING LCL CTL. GND CTL HAD A C172 WAITING TO CROSS RWY 10L NEAR THE DEP END; AND HAD COORDINATED XING J2 TO E1. MORE TIME THAN USUAL WAS NECESSARY DUE TO CONSTRUCTION; WHICH CLOSED E2; THE TXWY INTXN DIRECTLY OPPOSITE J2. THEREFORE THE C172 WOULD HAVE TO CROSS RWY 10L BY TAXIING ON THE RWY FOR 1000 FT TO THE END; AND TURN R AT E1. A CPR JET (CJ) THAT WAS DESTINED TO AN FBO ON THE N SIDE LANDED RWY 10L; AND WAS SLOWING TO TURN L AT THE LAST EXIT TO THE L (J2). A REGIONAL JET (RJ) WAS ON FINAL FOR RWY 10L; APPROX 5 MI BEHIND THE CJ. EARLIER; GND CTL HAD COORDINATED XING THE C172 AFTER THE CJ LANDED; AND BEFORE THE RJ WOULD CROSS THE THRESHOLD. THIS WOULD'VE WORKED WELL HAD THE CJ BEEN ABLE TO EXIT PRIOR TO J2. HOWEVER; THE CJ WAS TOO FAST TO EXIT AT J3. BEING AS THE CJ COULDN'T MAKE J3; I TOLD THE PLT TO HOLD SHORT OF J2 SO THAT WE COULD GET THE C172 TO CLR THE INTXN (AND HURRY DOWN THE RWY TO CROSS). HOWEVER; I COULDN'T GET GND CTL ON BOARD WITH THIS PLAN QUICKLY ENOUGH. THE SITUATION WAS NOW RAPIDLY DETERIORATING; AS THE CJ WAS SLOWING TO A STOP; 1000 FT FROM THE END. HIS IMMEDIATE EXIT TO THE L WAS BLOCKED BY THE C172; AND HIS IMMEDIATE EXIT TO THE R WAS BLOCKED BY CONSTRUCTION. I ATTEMPTED PLAN B BY ASKING THE RJ TO LAND RWY 10R. THE PLT SAID UNABLE. BEFORE I HAD TO SAY 'GO AROUND' I ASKED THE CJ IF HE COULD EXIT L; AND GET BY THE C172. HE MANAGED TO DO THIS. THE 'GAR' DIDN'T HAVE TO BE ISSUED. GND CTL APOLOGIZED FOR THE MESS; AS THE C172 WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN THERE IF IT HADN'T BEEN FOR HIS EARLIER ERROR. WHAT OCCURRED EARLIER WAS THE C172 HAD LANDED RWY 10L; AND EXITED TO THE R AT E4. THIS ACFT HAD TO TAXI TO THE S SIDE OF THE ARPT. I HEARD GND CTL CLR THE ACFT TO TAXI AND HOLD SHORT OF RWY 10R AT TXWY F. APPARENTLY; NOT LONG AFTER THAT; GND CTL CLRED 2 RJ'S TO TAXI TO RWY 10L; AS GND CTL FOUND HIMSELF FACED WITH THE C172 AND 2 RJ'S; HEAD-TO-HEAD ON TXWY E. GND CTL RESOLVED THIS BY GETTING MY APPROVAL TO CROSS RWY 10L WITH HIS C172 AT E3-J3. THAT'S HOW THE C172 ENDED UP AT J2; IN THE WAY. GND CTL GOT HIMSELF INTO THIS POS BECAUSE OF TWO REASONS. ONE; HE SIMPLY FORGOT ABOUT THE C172. AND TWO; BECAUSE THE VIEW OF TXWY E; WHERE THE C172 WAS; IS OBSTRUCTED FROM VIEW FROM THE GND CTL POS. MASSIVE PORTIONS OF OUR MOVEMENT AREAS (TXWYS AND RWYS) ARE OBSTRUCTED FROM VIEW BY OUR ILL-DESIGNED TWR CAB. TO VIEW ALL OF OUR MOVEMENT AREAS; ONE HAS TO CONSTANTLY PACE FROM THE N SIDE OF THE TWR CAB TO THE S SIDE OF THE TWR CAB (OR STAND ON THE 13 INCH RISER). RARELY DO CTLRS USE THE RISER AND RARELY DOES ANYONE PACE BACK AND FORTH. INSTEAD; MEMORY IS RELIED UPON.

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.