Narrative:

We taxied out from our gate at ewr and were given instructions to taxi B, rb, D, runway 4L. As we turned on rb, I was taxiing slowly and looking very carefully for taxiway D. I saw the construction on runway 4R, but never saw the 2 'grassy areas' separating taxiway pb from taxiway PA and taxiway PA from taxiway D. Consequently, when I thought I was approaching taxiway D, I was really approaching runway 4L. I just noticed the runway hold markings as my first officer shouted stop. An air carrier jet was taking off of runway 4L. I stopped short of the hold line and we subsequently took off from the intersection without incident. I cannot for the life of me figure out how I could have missed my taxiway turn unless the airport depiction is wrong, and there is no grassy opening between txwys pb and PA and PA and D. If this is the case, the taxi diagram needs to be changed, or someone else is going to miss this taxiway, and an accident may result. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter advised that it had been 4 yrs since he had been at ewr. Both pilots were trying to finish up paper work prior to departure. The reporter has returned to ewr within the last 30 days and, taxiing to runway 4L, still 'had some difficulty' in picking up out the right route.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B767 FLC MISSES TURN ONTO TXWY D FROM TXWY PB AT EWR, STOPPING SHORT OF RWY 4L ON TXWY V WHEN FO ALERTS CAPT OF APCHING RWY.

Narrative: WE TAXIED OUT FROM OUR GATE AT EWR AND WERE GIVEN INSTRUCTIONS TO TAXI B, RB, D, RWY 4L. AS WE TURNED ON RB, I WAS TAXIING SLOWLY AND LOOKING VERY CAREFULLY FOR TXWY D. I SAW THE CONSTRUCTION ON RWY 4R, BUT NEVER SAW THE 2 'GRASSY AREAS' SEPARATING TXWY PB FROM TXWY PA AND TXWY PA FROM TXWY D. CONSEQUENTLY, WHEN I THOUGHT I WAS APCHING TXWY D, I WAS REALLY APCHING RWY 4L. I JUST NOTICED THE RWY HOLD MARKINGS AS MY FO SHOUTED STOP. AN ACR JET WAS TAKING OFF OF RWY 4L. I STOPPED SHORT OF THE HOLD LINE AND WE SUBSEQUENTLY TOOK OFF FROM THE INTXN WITHOUT INCIDENT. I CANNOT FOR THE LIFE OF ME FIGURE OUT HOW I COULD HAVE MISSED MY TXWY TURN UNLESS THE ARPT DEPICTION IS WRONG, AND THERE IS NO GRASSY OPENING BTWN TXWYS PB AND PA AND PA AND D. IF THIS IS THE CASE, THE TAXI DIAGRAM NEEDS TO BE CHANGED, OR SOMEONE ELSE IS GOING TO MISS THIS TXWY, AND AN ACCIDENT MAY RESULT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR ADVISED THAT IT HAD BEEN 4 YRS SINCE HE HAD BEEN AT EWR. BOTH PLTS WERE TRYING TO FINISH UP PAPER WORK PRIOR TO DEP. THE RPTR HAS RETURNED TO EWR WITHIN THE LAST 30 DAYS AND, TAXIING TO RWY 4L, STILL 'HAD SOME DIFFICULTY' IN PICKING UP OUT THE RIGHT RTE.

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.