Incident Overview
On a night operation, a military flight, callsign Dixie 06, contacted Birmingham Approach Control at 2045 and received clearance for a low approach followed by a full-stop landing on runway 05. At 2053, Dixie 06 reported being on a four-mile final for the low approach to the local controller. Less than two minutes later, at 2054:19, the local controller cleared ABX 74, registration N19T, to "taxi position and hold five" on runway 05. ABX 74 was awaiting takeoff instructions on the runway when a collision occurred with Dixie 06.
Controller Actions
Investigation revealed that the local controller had forgotten about ABX 74. She became preoccupied with other traffic operating on runway 36. The controller described the traffic as busier than normal for a night operation. At the time of the accident, the tower was staffed with two air traffic controllers and an air traffic assistant. No supervisor or coordinator was available in the cab to detect controller overload and offer assistance.
Factors
The absence of supervisory personnel in the tower cab was noted. The local controller's preoccupation with runway 36 traffic led to her forgetting the aircraft holding on runway 05. No injuries or fatalities were reported in the source.