Narrative:

I asked my secretary to get standard clearance to cross runway 17 at high speed to XXX flying service. She read a complex series of light signals to me including a crossing after the second green light. I drove the tug to the side of the taxiway where we got a green light, then taxied to the hold short area on high speed. I got another green and taxied across the runway. When in the middle of the runway, I got a steady red light and the tower cleared me for taxi and the aircraft for takeoff at the same time. Solution: no runway xings in our tugs west/O a radio. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter was preparing to drive a tug to the other side of the airport. He asked his secretary to call the tower by telephone and get detailed instruction about crossing the runway with a tug that did not have a radio. Tower's instructions were: proceed to a point just short of the high speed taxiway and wait for a green light from the tower. After receiving the first green light, proceed to the hold short line for the runway. The second green light was clearance to cross the active runway. When the tower gave the first green light, the tug driver did not move right away and the tower controller thought he had not seen the first green light. The tower then gave another green light from a different gun in the tower. When the reporter saw what was for him the second green light, he started across the runway. At the same time, the local controller, thinking the tug would hold short at the hold line, cleared the small aircraft for takeoff. When the local controller discovered the tug crossing, an abort order was given to the small aircraft. The small aircraft rolled only about 200' and was never in danger of hitting the tug. The point of closest proximity was approximately 2500'.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT CLEARED FOR TKOF WITH TUG CROSSING RWY.

Narrative: I ASKED MY SECRETARY TO GET STANDARD CLRNC TO CROSS RWY 17 AT HIGH SPD TO XXX FLYING SVC. SHE READ A COMPLEX SERIES OF LIGHT SIGNALS TO ME INCLUDING A XING AFTER THE SECOND GREEN LIGHT. I DROVE THE TUG TO THE SIDE OF THE TXWY WHERE WE GOT A GREEN LIGHT, THEN TAXIED TO THE HOLD SHORT AREA ON HIGH SPD. I GOT ANOTHER GREEN AND TAXIED ACROSS THE RWY. WHEN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE RWY, I GOT A STEADY RED LIGHT AND THE TWR CLRED ME FOR TAXI AND THE ACFT FOR TKOF AT THE SAME TIME. SOLUTION: NO RWY XINGS IN OUR TUGS W/O A RADIO. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR WAS PREPARING TO DRIVE A TUG TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ARPT. HE ASKED HIS SECRETARY TO CALL THE TWR BY TELEPHONE AND GET DETAILED INSTRUCTION ABOUT XING THE RWY WITH A TUG THAT DID NOT HAVE A RADIO. TWR'S INSTRUCTIONS WERE: PROCEED TO A POINT JUST SHORT OF THE HIGH SPD TXWY AND WAIT FOR A GREEN LIGHT FROM THE TWR. AFTER RECEIVING THE FIRST GREEN LIGHT, PROCEED TO THE HOLD SHORT LINE FOR THE RWY. THE SECOND GREEN LIGHT WAS CLRNC TO CROSS THE ACTIVE RWY. WHEN THE TWR GAVE THE FIRST GREEN LIGHT, THE TUG DRIVER DID NOT MOVE RIGHT AWAY AND THE TWR CTLR THOUGHT HE HAD NOT SEEN THE FIRST GREEN LIGHT. THE TWR THEN GAVE ANOTHER GREEN LIGHT FROM A DIFFERENT GUN IN THE TWR. WHEN THE RPTR SAW WHAT WAS FOR HIM THE SECOND GREEN LIGHT, HE STARTED ACROSS THE RWY. AT THE SAME TIME, THE LCL CTLR, THINKING THE TUG WOULD HOLD SHORT AT THE HOLD LINE, CLRED THE SMA FOR TKOF. WHEN THE LCL CTLR DISCOVERED THE TUG XING, AN ABORT ORDER WAS GIVEN TO THE SMA. THE SMA ROLLED ONLY ABOUT 200' AND WAS NEVER IN DANGER OF HITTING THE TUG. THE POINT OF CLOSEST PROX WAS APPROX 2500'.

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.