Narrative:

Ground control confusion during taxiing to runway 4L at ewr from terminal. Scenario as follows: holding short at taxiway bm, ground control instructions were, after passing B737 (left to right), follow company B737 to runway 4L. At the next intersection, we were instructed to hold short for a company rj passing left to right and continue to runway 4L following the same B737. After following ground control instructions, I continued to taxi as instructed when an A320 crossed in front of us with no call from ground control. Had I not stopped, I feel we would have collided. I continued to taxi and the next instruction from ground was hold short at taxiway V and give way to an ATR and switch to tower. The problem was I had already passed taxiway V and the ATR. After switching to tower, I switched back to ground and stated what had happened. A different controller came on frequency and instructed me to hold short and wait for the ATR and switch to tower. Tower instructed me to position and hold with no further reference to the ATR. I took off with no further incident. Ewr ground control is always very busy and can be very demanding -- even to the most experienced controllers. I think the cause of the above stated problem was a relatively inexperienced ground controller that got a little bit behind.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT X (B757) WHILE TAXIING, ACFT Y (A320) CROSSED IN FRONT OF THEM. RPTR CONTENDS THAT THE GND CTLR NEVER GAVE THEM ANY INFO ON THE XING TAXIING TFC.

Narrative: GND CTL CONFUSION DURING TAXIING TO RWY 4L AT EWR FROM TERMINAL. SCENARIO AS FOLLOWS: HOLDING SHORT AT TXWY BM, GND CTL INSTRUCTIONS WERE, AFTER PASSING B737 (L TO R), FOLLOW COMPANY B737 TO RWY 4L. AT THE NEXT INTXN, WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO HOLD SHORT FOR A COMPANY RJ PASSING L TO R AND CONTINUE TO RWY 4L FOLLOWING THE SAME B737. AFTER FOLLOWING GND CTL INSTRUCTIONS, I CONTINUED TO TAXI AS INSTRUCTED WHEN AN A320 CROSSED IN FRONT OF US WITH NO CALL FROM GND CTL. HAD I NOT STOPPED, I FEEL WE WOULD HAVE COLLIDED. I CONTINUED TO TAXI AND THE NEXT INSTRUCTION FROM GND WAS HOLD SHORT AT TXWY V AND GIVE WAY TO AN ATR AND SWITCH TO TWR. THE PROB WAS I HAD ALREADY PASSED TXWY V AND THE ATR. AFTER SWITCHING TO TWR, I SWITCHED BACK TO GND AND STATED WHAT HAD HAPPENED. A DIFFERENT CTLR CAME ON FREQ AND INSTRUCTED ME TO HOLD SHORT AND WAIT FOR THE ATR AND SWITCH TO TWR. TWR INSTRUCTED ME TO POS AND HOLD WITH NO FURTHER REF TO THE ATR. I TOOK OFF WITH NO FURTHER INCIDENT. EWR GND CTL IS ALWAYS VERY BUSY AND CAN BE VERY DEMANDING -- EVEN TO THE MOST EXPERIENCED CTLRS. I THINK THE CAUSE OF THE ABOVE STATED PROB WAS A RELATIVELY INEXPERIENCED GND CTLR THAT GOT A LITTLE BIT BEHIND.

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.