MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model
Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Air Traffic Control Time Certified In Pos 1 (yrs) 6.5
Situational Awareness; Communication Breakdown; Confusion; Human-Machine Interface
ATC Issue All Types; Deviation - Track / Heading All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance
Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Flight Crew Requested ATC Assistance / Clarification
ATC Equipment / Nav Facility / Buildings; Human Factors; Procedure
I took local control; I had no departures during my two minute overlap due to wake turbulence separation. When my next departure went I couldn't recall if he had told me we were on vectors so I looked at the Information Display System (IDS) and it had no information; it usually says vectors or RNAV. I then launched five aircraft on RNAV departures with appropriate RNAV separation. After I had cleared the fifth aircraft the ground controller advised me we were supposed to be on vectors. I had one aircraft at departure end and one lifting; I called down to the departure controller and told her I forgot we weren't RNAV. I then switched my other two aircraft to her. About twenty minutes later the TRACON called the tower to notify us that one of the aircraft had complained. I was explaining one of the reasons I had confusion was from the IDS. The other controllers didn't understand what I was talking about since their screens showed vectors. We then figured out that when the RVR's are pulled up on the page it removes the vectors comment at the top of the page.Fix the glitch where the departure status disappears when the RVR page is brought up.
DFW Tower Controller mistakenly departed aircraft using RNAV departures rather than vectors. The information display system wasn't showing the types of departures in use.