Small Aircraft
Air Traffic Control Time Certified In Pos 1 (yrs) 2.0
Confusion; Situational Awareness
ATC Issue All Types; Conflict Ground Conflict; Less Severe; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
General None Reported / Taken
Airport; Environment - Non Weather Related; Human Factors
I was working Ground Control and also had the Controller In Charge position. The Local Controller cleared an aircraft for takeoff while a vehicle was still on the runway. The vehicle heard the local controller and exited the runway. I did not see or hear about this event until I was in the break room and then the local controller told me about it. There have been many problems at TUS tower associated with vehicles and runway closures. We just had an evaluation team leave this facility a month ago and they said that we have the most vehicles that they have ever seen at an airport. There have been multiple reports filed because of the amount of vehicles on the movement areas and the length or runway inspections and sweeping. In a normal morning there are vehicles on all or some of the runways for hours. To fix this problem from happening again we need to fix the amount of vehicles on the movement areas and the length of time it takes to do a runway inspection.
A TUS Ground Controller also assigned Controller in Charge duties was advised by the Local Controller that he had cleared an aircraft for takeoff with a vehicle on the runway.