Narrative:

At ewr terminal we were cleared to taxi to runway 22 via outer and taxiway right. After we began our taxi we were asked to transition to the inner and to hold short of taxiway F. Quick look at taxi chart confirmed that taxiway F was approximately where I thought it was. One problem that I could not see was that taxiway F does not intersect the inner, it merges with taxiway re. Just after passing taxiway G I realized that the next taxiway was not taxiway F but taxiway re. Since the ramp txwys only go from the ramp to the inner taxiway, I assumed that taxiway F would be next. It wasn't. After stopping briefly the controller, who was especially busy, asked us to continue via inner and taxiway south. We never saw any potential traffic and the controller's tone made it sound as if he was surprised we were stopped. The obvious question is, were we given this clearance by mistake? If not, can we be expected to hold short of an intersection that does not exist? The solutions: better taxiway signage. Also, a clearer taxi chart. Our studying the taxi chart closer (also hard to do while moving around a busy airport, conducting checklists, etc). Biggest thing would be signs, after seeing nice big 'H' and 'G' signs you just know the next sign will be 'F' just like your first glance at the chart appears. When you really study the taxi chart is when you notice that the 'F' is not meant to designate the portion of the taxiway from the ramp to the inner, but from the runway to either the outer, or possibly the inner. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states he wrote report in a hurry and probably substituted 'G' and 'H' for 'a' and 'B' txwys. This would make sense since they depart from terminal a. He feels controller may have meant to delete the hold short from clearance when he changed them to inner. Since he was not sure he stopped in order to clarify.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLG FLC GIVEN CONFUSING TAXI CLRNC. STOP TO CLARIFY.

Narrative: AT EWR TERMINAL WE WERE CLRED TO TAXI TO RWY 22 VIA OUTER AND TXWY R. AFTER WE BEGAN OUR TAXI WE WERE ASKED TO TRANSITION TO THE INNER AND TO HOLD SHORT OF TXWY F. QUICK LOOK AT TAXI CHART CONFIRMED THAT TXWY F WAS APPROX WHERE I THOUGHT IT WAS. ONE PROB THAT I COULD NOT SEE WAS THAT TXWY F DOES NOT INTERSECT THE INNER, IT MERGES WITH TXWY RE. JUST AFTER PASSING TXWY G I REALIZED THAT THE NEXT TXWY WAS NOT TXWY F BUT TXWY RE. SINCE THE RAMP TXWYS ONLY GO FROM THE RAMP TO THE INNER TXWY, I ASSUMED THAT TXWY F WOULD BE NEXT. IT WASN'T. AFTER STOPPING BRIEFLY THE CTLR, WHO WAS ESPECIALLY BUSY, ASKED US TO CONTINUE VIA INNER AND TXWY S. WE NEVER SAW ANY POTENTIAL TFC AND THE CTLR'S TONE MADE IT SOUND AS IF HE WAS SURPRISED WE WERE STOPPED. THE OBVIOUS QUESTION IS, WERE WE GIVEN THIS CLRNC BY MISTAKE? IF NOT, CAN WE BE EXPECTED TO HOLD SHORT OF AN INTXN THAT DOES NOT EXIST? THE SOLUTIONS: BETTER TXWY SIGNAGE. ALSO, A CLEARER TAXI CHART. OUR STUDYING THE TAXI CHART CLOSER (ALSO HARD TO DO WHILE MOVING AROUND A BUSY ARPT, CONDUCTING CHKLISTS, ETC). BIGGEST THING WOULD BE SIGNS, AFTER SEEING NICE BIG 'H' AND 'G' SIGNS YOU JUST KNOW THE NEXT SIGN WILL BE 'F' JUST LIKE YOUR FIRST GLANCE AT THE CHART APPEARS. WHEN YOU REALLY STUDY THE TAXI CHART IS WHEN YOU NOTICE THAT THE 'F' IS NOT MEANT TO DESIGNATE THE PORTION OF THE TXWY FROM THE RAMP TO THE INNER, BUT FROM THE RWY TO EITHER THE OUTER, OR POSSIBLY THE INNER. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES HE WROTE RPT IN A HURRY AND PROBABLY SUBSTITUTED 'G' AND 'H' FOR 'A' AND 'B' TXWYS. THIS WOULD MAKE SENSE SINCE THEY DEPART FROM TERMINAL A. HE FEELS CTLR MAY HAVE MEANT TO DELETE THE HOLD SHORT FROM CLRNC WHEN HE CHANGED THEM TO INNER. SINCE HE WAS NOT SURE HE STOPPED IN ORDER TO CLARIFY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.