Phl controller described an aircraft/vehicle conflict when an unauthorized airport vehicle entered t...

Narrative:

I was conducting OJT (on job training) position when a CRJ1 was cleared for take-off. The aircraft started his takeoff roll and after about a thousand feet the amass (airport movement area safety system) alerted and announced that the runway was occupied. I looked at the display and saw a blue splat at the opposite end of the runway. I initially thought it was false target until it started moving toward the aircraft taking off. The CRJ1 was more than halfway down the runway and I could not give any instructions for fear that the aircraft would not have enough speed for lift off or too much speed to stop before the truck. The CRJ1 was able to takeoff and flew over the truck. To my surprise; the truck continued down the runway and I was forced to send an arrival air carrier around. I tried to call the truck but I had no call sign because the airport operator refuses to put transponders in their trucks. The truck finally exited the runway at taxiway yankee. If the airport operator had transponders in all of its vehicles I would have seen the vehicle before it entered the runway and a call sign to use.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PHL controller described an aircraft/vehicle conflict when an unauthorized airport vehicle entered the departure runway with an aircraft on takeoff roll; the departing aircraft overflew the truck and an arrival was issued a go around.

Narrative: I was conducting OJT (on job training) position when a CRJ1 was cleared for take-off. The aircraft started his takeoff roll and after about a thousand feet the AMASS (Airport Movement Area Safety System) alerted and announced that the runway was occupied. I looked at the display and saw a blue splat at the opposite end of the runway. I initially thought it was false target until it started moving toward the aircraft taking off. The CRJ1 was more than halfway down the runway and I could not give any instructions for fear that the aircraft would not have enough speed for lift off or too much speed to stop before the truck. The CRJ1 was able to takeoff and flew over the truck. To my surprise; the truck continued down the runway and I was forced to send an arrival air carrier around. I tried to call the truck but I had no call sign because the Airport Operator refuses to put transponders in their trucks. The truck finally exited the runway at Taxiway Yankee. If the Airport Operator had transponders in all of its vehicles I would have seen the vehicle before it entered the runway and a call sign to use.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of April 2012 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.

Attributes
ACN	892924
Time
Date	201006
Local Time Of Day	1201-1800
Place
Locale Reference	PHL.Airport
State Reference	PA
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	Regional Jet CL65 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	Takeoff
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Function	Local
Qualification	Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Events
Anomaly	ATC Issue All Types Conflict Ground Conflict Critical Ground Event / Encounter Vehicle

Phl controller described an aircraft/vehicle conflict when an unauthorized airport vehicle entered the departure runway with an aircraft on takeoff roll; the departing aircraft overflew the truck and an arrival was issued a go around.