Narrative:

Flight pushed out of gate at ewr. We notified ground control that we needed runway 22L for takeoff. Ewr ground control gave us clearance to exit the ramp then turn left on the inner and proceed on to sierra and hold short of kilo. At this time I checked my airport chart and anticipated crossing 22R and 22L at kilo for positioning for takeoff on 22L. When approaching kilo we were told to proceed on sierra and let the small aircraft from left to right go in front of us. I checked my chart and taxied slow as to allow the aircraft to pass in front of us. As he cleared we were given another clearance to proceed on sierra to cross runway 29 and turn right on zulu. Once again I checked my chart and saw that zulu ran parallel to runway 29, then across the east end of runway 29 then it became november. As we taxied along zulu near papa we were given a clearance to hold short of 22L. As I proceeded along zulu I noticed traffic on approach for runway 22L and thought it was an odd clearance but the chart shows zulu never crossing 22L and that it must be a proper procedure because of the displaced threshold and the T/D for landing aircraft probably 1/2 mi away. When we were crossing runway 29 I noticed the approaching aircraft approximately 1 mi away initiate a go around. When clear of runway 29 on zulu maybe november the ground controller called and told us that he had told us to hold short of runway 29. I replied that we were told to hold short of runway 22L. There was confusion at this time due to the fact of what we thought we were told and what the controller was telling us. We then made a 180 degree turn on november back to zulu to hold short of zulu alpha. Shortly we were given clearance for takeoff on 22L. The rest of the flight proceeded normally on to stl. We talked about what happened during the flight and the first officer and I both did not recognize that 22L could be accessed from zulu alpha by reading the chart. We both felt that we had to approach from the pad on november. We felt the clearance back at yankee was to cross runway 29 and follow zulu to runway 22L. On the ground at stl I called the supervisor on duty at ewr tower and he informed me that they had listened to the tapes and clearly told us to hold short of runway 29. I apologized to him and asked if this situation had ever happened before. He said that it had. I then reported the situation too all interested parties. Since I haven't heard the tapes it is hard for me to give an exact reason for the occurrence but I will list some probable causes. I sometimes have a hard time understanding controllers in the ny and bos areas, especially when it's busy and they talk fast. This particular airport chart does not show taxiway zulu alpha very well. Most airports are marked very poorly when it comes to taxiing especially at night. It would help very much if the charts were color coded.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LGT MAKES UNAUTH RWY CROSSING.

Narrative: FLT PUSHED OUT OF GATE AT EWR. WE NOTIFIED GND CTL THAT WE NEEDED RWY 22L FOR TKOF. EWR GND CTL GAVE US CLRNC TO EXIT THE RAMP THEN TURN LEFT ON THE INNER AND PROCEED ON TO SIERRA AND HOLD SHORT OF KILO. AT THIS TIME I CHKED MY ARPT CHART AND ANTICIPATED XING 22R AND 22L AT KILO FOR POSITIONING FOR TKOF ON 22L. WHEN APCHING KILO WE WERE TOLD TO PROCEED ON SIERRA AND LET THE SMA FROM LEFT TO RIGHT GO IN FRONT OF US. I CHKED MY CHART AND TAXIED SLOW AS TO ALLOW THE ACFT TO PASS IN FRONT OF US. AS HE CLRED WE WERE GIVEN ANOTHER CLRNC TO PROCEED ON SIERRA TO CROSS RWY 29 AND TURN RIGHT ON ZULU. ONCE AGAIN I CHKED MY CHART AND SAW THAT ZULU RAN PARALLEL TO RWY 29, THEN ACROSS THE E END OF RWY 29 THEN IT BECAME NOVEMBER. AS WE TAXIED ALONG ZULU NEAR PAPA WE WERE GIVEN A CLRNC TO HOLD SHORT OF 22L. AS I PROCEEDED ALONG ZULU I NOTICED TFC ON APCH FOR RWY 22L AND THOUGHT IT WAS AN ODD CLRNC BUT THE CHART SHOWS ZULU NEVER XING 22L AND THAT IT MUST BE A PROPER PROC BECAUSE OF THE DISPLACED THRESHOLD AND THE T/D FOR LNDG ACFT PROBABLY 1/2 MI AWAY. WHEN WE WERE XING RWY 29 I NOTICED THE APCHING ACFT APPROX 1 MI AWAY INITIATE A GAR. WHEN CLR OF RWY 29 ON ZULU MAYBE NOVEMBER THE GND CTLR CALLED AND TOLD US THAT HE HAD TOLD US TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 29. I REPLIED THAT WE WERE TOLD TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 22L. THERE WAS CONFUSION AT THIS TIME DUE TO THE FACT OF WHAT WE THOUGHT WE WERE TOLD AND WHAT THE CTLR WAS TELLING US. WE THEN MADE A 180 DEG TURN ON NOVEMBER BACK TO ZULU TO HOLD SHORT OF ZULU ALPHA. SHORTLY WE WERE GIVEN CLRNC FOR TKOF ON 22L. THE REST OF THE FLT PROCEEDED NORMALLY ON TO STL. WE TALKED ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED DURING THE FLT AND THE F/O AND I BOTH DID NOT RECOGNIZE THAT 22L COULD BE ACCESSED FROM ZULU ALPHA BY READING THE CHART. WE BOTH FELT THAT WE HAD TO APCH FROM THE PAD ON NOVEMBER. WE FELT THE CLRNC BACK AT YANKEE WAS TO CROSS RWY 29 AND FOLLOW ZULU TO RWY 22L. ON THE GND AT STL I CALLED THE SUPVR ON DUTY AT EWR TWR AND HE INFORMED ME THAT THEY HAD LISTENED TO THE TAPES AND CLRLY TOLD US TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 29. I APOLOGIZED TO HIM AND ASKED IF THIS SITUATION HAD EVER HAPPENED BEFORE. HE SAID THAT IT HAD. I THEN RPTED THE SITUATION TOO ALL INTERESTED PARTIES. SINCE I HAVEN'T HEARD THE TAPES IT IS HARD FOR ME TO GIVE AN EXACT REASON FOR THE OCCURRENCE BUT I WILL LIST SOME PROBABLE CAUSES. I SOMETIMES HAVE A HARD TIME UNDERSTANDING CTLRS IN THE NY AND BOS AREAS, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT'S BUSY AND THEY TALK FAST. THIS PARTICULAR ARPT CHART DOES NOT SHOW TXWY ZULU ALPHA VERY WELL. MOST ARPTS ARE MARKED VERY POORLY WHEN IT COMES TO TAXIING ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT. IT WOULD HELP VERY MUCH IF THE CHARTS WERE COLOR CODED.

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.