What happened
On the day of the accident, the aircraft identified as N683AV, an SKW5569 flight, was instructed by air traffic control to proceed to runway 24L and hold at intersection 45. While the aircraft was positioned on the runway, the local controller, distracted by another aircraft in the area, issued a landing clearance to N38ASS, flight US1493.
This resulted in a collision between the two aircraft on the runway. Following the impact, both planes slid off the active runway and came to rest at an empty fire station. There were no fatalities reported in the incident.
Findings
Investigations revealed that the local controller failed to recognize that the first aircraft was still occupying the runway due to being preoccupied with other traffic. A significant contributing factor was a breakdown in communication and tracking procedures; the tower's operating protocols did not require flight progress strips to be moved through the local ground control position. Because the relevant strip was not processed, the controller misidentified the status of the aircraft and mistakenly authorized the landing.
Additionally, it was noted that the technical appraisal program intended for air traffic controllers was not being utilized effectively. This lack of oversight was attributed to a lack of available appraisal histories and a lack of understanding among supervisors regarding the program's implementation.