Narrative:

Crew sent to reposition aircraft abc from parking area 15 to the air carrier X ramp. Aircraft was located approximately 100 ft from and facing the hold short line of runway 11. Ground was contacted and we were instructed to taxi zulu hold short of uniform. Looking up, I saw zulu directly in front of me and proceeded to taxi. I glanced at the airport diagram and saw zulu continuing to the south of the approach end of runway 11. Holding short I verified the taxi instructions with the first officer. We agreed we were clear to cross the approach end of runway 11 on taxiway zulu, and cleared both directions before crossing. Once on the south side of runway 11, we could not find zulu or uniform, and we were confused. I then looked at the airport diagram closer, and realized the intersection of zulu and uniform was on the north side of runway 11. Ground instructed us to call them on the telephone shortly after, and I spoke with the supervisor. It was discovered afterwards that the commercial plates incorrectly identify the taxi area immediately south of the approach end of 11 as zulu, when it should be labeled whiskey, which is what the port authority identifies it as. The problem arose for a number of reasons. The crew was not familiar with that portion of the airport. The airplane was facing 'the wrong way' near taxiway zulu. The charts available to the pilots are labeled incorrectly. Neither of the crew had ever repositioned a plane from that location. We were already late, and would be more late after the reposition. There was no command to hold short of runway 11 in the taxi clearance. We had perceived ground control's instructions to taxi zulu short uniform to mean taxi on zulu cross any runway you need to get to uniform, but hold short uniform. Ground did not expect us to cross 11 because their charts do not show zulu south of 11, which our do, so they did not include it in their clearance. Basically, we made a right when we should have made a left, and realized it too late. Corrective actions: 1) fix the chart. Label our commercial charts to what they are on the airport. 2) look at the charts closer. 3) query ATC before crossing any runway if not specifically authorized to do so.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A RWY INCURSION AT EWR DURING AN EQUIP REPOSITIONING. THE COMMERCIAL ARPT CHART USED, RPTED TO BE IN ERROR, WAS A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR.

Narrative: CREW SENT TO REPOSITION ACFT ABC FROM PARKING AREA 15 TO THE ACR X RAMP. ACFT WAS LOCATED APPROX 100 FT FROM AND FACING THE HOLD SHORT LINE OF RWY 11. GROUND WAS CONTACTED AND WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO TAXI ZULU HOLD SHORT OF UNIFORM. LOOKING UP, I SAW ZULU DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF ME AND PROCEEDED TO TAXI. I GLANCED AT THE ARPT DIAGRAM AND SAW ZULU CONTINUING TO THE S OF THE APCH END OF RWY 11. HOLDING SHORT I VERIFIED THE TAXI INSTRUCTIONS WITH THE FO. WE AGREED WE WERE CLEAR TO CROSS THE APCH END OF RWY 11 ON TXWY ZULU, AND CLEARED BOTH DIRECTIONS BEFORE CROSSING. ONCE ON THE S SIDE OF RWY 11, WE COULD NOT FIND ZULU OR UNIFORM, AND WE WERE CONFUSED. I THEN LOOKED AT THE ARPT DIAGRAM CLOSER, AND REALIZED THE INTXN OF ZULU AND UNIFORM WAS ON THE N SIDE OF RWY 11. GND INSTRUCTED US TO CALL THEM ON THE TELEPHONE SHORTLY AFTER, AND I SPOKE WITH THE SUPVR. IT WAS DISCOVERED AFTERWARDS THAT THE COMMERCIAL PLATES INCORRECTLY IDENTIFY THE TAXI AREA IMMEDIATELY S OF THE APCH END OF 11 AS ZULU, WHEN IT SHOULD BE LABELED WHISKEY, WHICH IS WHAT THE PORT AUTHORITY IDENTIFIES IT AS. THE PROB AROSE FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS. THE CREW WAS NOT FAMILIAR WITH THAT PORTION OF THE ARPT. THE AIRPLANE WAS FACING 'THE WRONG WAY' NEAR TXWY ZULU. THE CHARTS AVAILABLE TO THE PLTS ARE LABELED INCORRECTLY. NEITHER OF THE CREW HAD EVER REPOSITIONED A PLANE FROM THAT LOCATION. WE WERE ALREADY LATE, AND WOULD BE MORE LATE AFTER THE REPOSITION. THERE WAS NO COMMAND TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 11 IN THE TAXI CLRNC. WE HAD PERCEIVED GND CTL'S INSTRUCTIONS TO TAXI ZULU SHORT UNIFORM TO MEAN TAXI ON ZULU CROSS ANY RWY YOU NEED TO GET TO UNIFORM, BUT HOLD SHORT UNIFORM. GND DID NOT EXPECT US TO CROSS 11 BECAUSE THEIR CHARTS DO NOT SHOW ZULU S OF 11, WHICH OUR DO, SO THEY DID NOT INCLUDE IT IN THEIR CLRNC. BASICALLY, WE MADE A R WHEN WE SHOULD HAVE MADE A LEFT, AND REALIZED IT TOO LATE. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: 1) FIX THE CHART. LABEL OUR COMMERCIAL CHARTS TO WHAT THEY ARE ON THE ARPT. 2) LOOK AT THE CHARTS CLOSER. 3) QUERY ATC BEFORE XING ANY RWY IF NOT SPECIFICALLY AUTHORIZED TO DO SO.

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.