Air carrier widebody transport unauthorized runway crossing.

Attributes
ACN	116602
Time
Date	198907
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ewr
State Reference	NJ
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	ground : holding ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff ground other : taxi other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 1200
ASRS Report	116602
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground less severe incursion : runway non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	flight crew : rejected takeoff other
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 4000 vertical : 0
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Ambiguous
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Taxiing for takeoff at runway 22R at ewr, we were told to hold short of golf on the outer (northbound). Prior to reaching golf we were cleared to cross 22R at golf and turn left on papa. We were again cleared to cross and when nearly at the runway, we saw an aircraft (air carrier Y medium large transport) taxiing onto the runway with his landing lights on. At this moment, ground control ordered us to stop as the medium large transport which was evidently making a rolling takeoff, aborted. We did not penetrate the runway. Ground control said I gave you clearance to hold short of the runway. We never acknowledged holding short, but the ground control frequency was under heavy use. Also, the ground controller seemed to have more traffic than he was comfortable handling. The transmission to hold short was possibly covered by one of the numerous flts seeking to taxi. When I saw the medium large transport with his landing lights on, I should have stopped before being told and gotten confirmation, although we were both sure we had been told twice to cross. I hope to have help from a controller when I'm overloaded (which isn't that uncommon in a widebody transport) so I should have been more alert to catch an error when an overloaded controller mis-speaks.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR WDB UNAUTH RWY CROSSING.

Narrative: TAXIING FOR TKOF AT RWY 22R AT EWR, WE WERE TOLD TO HOLD SHORT OF GOLF ON THE OUTER (NBND). PRIOR TO REACHING GOLF WE WERE CLRED TO CROSS 22R AT GOLF AND TURN LEFT ON PAPA. WE WERE AGAIN CLRED TO CROSS AND WHEN NEARLY AT THE RWY, WE SAW AN ACFT (ACR Y MLG) TAXIING ONTO THE RWY WITH HIS LNDG LIGHTS ON. AT THIS MOMENT, GND CTL ORDERED US TO STOP AS THE MLG WHICH WAS EVIDENTLY MAKING A ROLLING TKOF, ABORTED. WE DID NOT PENETRATE THE RWY. GND CTL SAID I GAVE YOU CLRNC TO HOLD SHORT OF THE RWY. WE NEVER ACKNOWLEDGED HOLDING SHORT, BUT THE GND CTL FREQ WAS UNDER HEAVY USE. ALSO, THE GND CTLR SEEMED TO HAVE MORE TFC THAN HE WAS COMFORTABLE HANDLING. THE XMISSION TO HOLD SHORT WAS POSSIBLY COVERED BY ONE OF THE NUMEROUS FLTS SEEKING TO TAXI. WHEN I SAW THE MLG WITH HIS LNDG LIGHTS ON, I SHOULD HAVE STOPPED BEFORE BEING TOLD AND GOTTEN CONFIRMATION, ALTHOUGH WE WERE BOTH SURE WE HAD BEEN TOLD TWICE TO CROSS. I HOPE TO HAVE HELP FROM A CTLR WHEN I'M OVERLOADED (WHICH ISN'T THAT UNCOMMON IN A WDB) SO I SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE ALERT TO CATCH AN ERROR WHEN AN OVERLOADED CTLR MIS-SPEAKS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.