Narrative:

I had been out on a training flight, the student was an applicant for his multi-engine commercial license. The student was in the left seat of small aircraft twin X, and I in the right seat. We had just landed on runway 19 and cleared the runway on taxiway B. Clearing the runway the student requested clearance to taxi to the FBO hangar. The controller cleared us as the student had requested. With no restrictions stated in the clearance, we made a right turn on taxiway a and were about to cross runway 10-28 when we observed aircraft Y on runway 10-28 rolling out after having landed. We stopped and waited for aircraft Y to clear runway 10-28 and then I, as the instructor, attempted to call ground controller and confirm we were clear to cross the runway. After several calls, we were cleared to continue to taxi. I then asked if we were originally cleared to cross the runway. I could not get the controller to answer for some time. After several calls he finally confirmed we were cleared to cross with no restrictions. I feel this incident is the result of an ongoing problem here in alb. It is a very common practice for 1 controller to function in more than 1 capacity. This individual was acting both as tower and ground controller. One person trying to do both of these functions at this airport is a potential accident waiting to happen. This has been going on for several yrs. I was involved in a similar incident in 9/86. The situation then was 1 controller handling both ground and tower and issuing incorrect taxi instructions.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA TWIN CLEARED TO CROSS ACTIVE RWY WHILE COMMUTER ACFT LNDG. TWIN PLT SAW ACFT Y AND HELD SHORT. OPERATIONAL DEVIATION.

Narrative: I HAD BEEN OUT ON A TRNING FLT, THE STUDENT WAS AN APPLICANT FOR HIS MULTI-ENG COMMERCIAL LICENSE. THE STUDENT WAS IN THE LEFT SEAT OF SMA TWIN X, AND I IN THE RIGHT SEAT. WE HAD JUST LANDED ON RWY 19 AND CLRED THE RWY ON TXWY B. CLRING THE RWY THE STUDENT REQUESTED CLRNC TO TAXI TO THE FBO HANGAR. THE CTLR CLRED US AS THE STUDENT HAD REQUESTED. WITH NO RESTRICTIONS STATED IN THE CLRNC, WE MADE A RIGHT TURN ON TXWY A AND WERE ABOUT TO CROSS RWY 10-28 WHEN WE OBSERVED ACFT Y ON RWY 10-28 ROLLING OUT AFTER HAVING LANDED. WE STOPPED AND WAITED FOR ACFT Y TO CLR RWY 10-28 AND THEN I, AS THE INSTRUCTOR, ATTEMPTED TO CALL GND CTLR AND CONFIRM WE WERE CLR TO CROSS THE RWY. AFTER SEVERAL CALLS, WE WERE CLRED TO CONTINUE TO TAXI. I THEN ASKED IF WE WERE ORIGINALLY CLRED TO CROSS THE RWY. I COULD NOT GET THE CTLR TO ANSWER FOR SOME TIME. AFTER SEVERAL CALLS HE FINALLY CONFIRMED WE WERE CLRED TO CROSS WITH NO RESTRICTIONS. I FEEL THIS INCIDENT IS THE RESULT OF AN ONGOING PROB HERE IN ALB. IT IS A VERY COMMON PRACTICE FOR 1 CTLR TO FUNCTION IN MORE THAN 1 CAPACITY. THIS INDIVIDUAL WAS ACTING BOTH AS TWR AND GND CTLR. ONE PERSON TRYING TO DO BOTH OF THESE FUNCTIONS AT THIS ARPT IS A POTENTIAL ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR SEVERAL YRS. I WAS INVOLVED IN A SIMILAR INCIDENT IN 9/86. THE SITUATION THEN WAS 1 CTLR HANDLING BOTH GND AND TWR AND ISSUING INCORRECT TAXI INSTRUCTIONS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.