Narrative:

Ground cleared us to taxi via taxiway B, hold short of taxiway V, from southwest corner of airport. Holding short of taxiway V, ground told us to allow 2 aircraft to pass by on taxiway a (our left side), then taxi taxiway V to taxiway a northbound. I read back clearance to ground, then read to captain, who acknowledged. After first aircraft passed off our left, captain began to taxi straight ahead northbound on taxiway B, toward aircraft sbound on taxiway B. I told captain to stop, but by the time he stopped we had passed taxiway V on taxiway B. I advised ground of our misunderstanding in the cockpit, and we held short until oncoming aircraft taxied clear at taxiway D. Then tower told us to taxi across taxiway rc to taxiway a and proceed northbound on taxiway a. We complied without further incident, but captain also seemed confused later in the taxi, although we made it to the runway (runway 29) without further problems. Captain is very experienced at ewr. This was my first trip to ewr. Captain later remarked that he was very tired, as he had awakened at AB00. This was the last leg of a 6 leg 'day trip' for the captain. I had been called in on reserve to fly the round trip to ewr. I don't know what time the captain started duty, but most of my company's 'day trips' involve 12-14 hour duty days, so he had probably been on duty for at least 10-12 hours when this incident occurred. Had I been to ewr before and been certain of our position, I could have prevented the incident by stopping the aircraft myself. I was not positive where 'taxiway V' was, however, and in the time it took me to glance at my airport diagram, we had already gone too far along taxiway B to make the left at taxiway V. Best way to avoid such incidents would be to require airlines to schedule shorter duty days, to prevent fatigue. This was no doubt the source of captain's confusion.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A TAXIING BA3200 AT EWR BLOCKS THE PROGRESS OF ANOTHER TAXIING ACFT THAT HE WAS SUPPOSED TO GIVE WAY TO.

Narrative: GND CLRED US TO TAXI VIA TXWY B, HOLD SHORT OF TXWY V, FROM SW CORNER OF ARPT. HOLDING SHORT OF TXWY V, GND TOLD US TO ALLOW 2 ACFT TO PASS BY ON TXWY A (OUR L SIDE), THEN TAXI TXWY V TO TXWY A NBOUND. I READ BACK CLRNC TO GND, THEN READ TO CAPT, WHO ACKNOWLEDGED. AFTER FIRST ACFT PASSED OFF OUR L, CAPT BEGAN TO TAXI STRAIGHT AHEAD NBOUND ON TXWY B, TOWARD ACFT SBOUND ON TXWY B. I TOLD CAPT TO STOP, BUT BY THE TIME HE STOPPED WE HAD PASSED TXWY V ON TXWY B. I ADVISED GND OF OUR MISUNDERSTANDING IN THE COCKPIT, AND WE HELD SHORT UNTIL ONCOMING ACFT TAXIED CLR AT TXWY D. THEN TWR TOLD US TO TAXI ACROSS TXWY RC TO TXWY A AND PROCEED NBOUND ON TXWY A. WE COMPLIED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT, BUT CAPT ALSO SEEMED CONFUSED LATER IN THE TAXI, ALTHOUGH WE MADE IT TO THE RWY (RWY 29) WITHOUT FURTHER PROBS. CAPT IS VERY EXPERIENCED AT EWR. THIS WAS MY FIRST TRIP TO EWR. CAPT LATER REMARKED THAT HE WAS VERY TIRED, AS HE HAD AWAKENED AT AB00. THIS WAS THE LAST LEG OF A 6 LEG 'DAY TRIP' FOR THE CAPT. I HAD BEEN CALLED IN ON RESERVE TO FLY THE ROUND TRIP TO EWR. I DON'T KNOW WHAT TIME THE CAPT STARTED DUTY, BUT MOST OF MY COMPANY'S 'DAY TRIPS' INVOLVE 12-14 HR DUTY DAYS, SO HE HAD PROBABLY BEEN ON DUTY FOR AT LEAST 10-12 HRS WHEN THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED. HAD I BEEN TO EWR BEFORE AND BEEN CERTAIN OF OUR POS, I COULD HAVE PREVENTED THE INCIDENT BY STOPPING THE ACFT MYSELF. I WAS NOT POSITIVE WHERE 'TXWY V' WAS, HOWEVER, AND IN THE TIME IT TOOK ME TO GLANCE AT MY ARPT DIAGRAM, WE HAD ALREADY GONE TOO FAR ALONG TXWY B TO MAKE THE L AT TXWY V. BEST WAY TO AVOID SUCH INCIDENTS WOULD BE TO REQUIRE AIRLINES TO SCHEDULE SHORTER DUTY DAYS, TO PREVENT FATIGUE. THIS WAS NO DOUBT THE SOURCE OF CAPT'S CONFUSION.

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.