Narrative:

We turned off of runway 22L at the second high speed (newark) and held short of runway 22R on bravo as instructed. Very shortly we heard what we were expecting to hear ATR XXX cleared to cross runway 22R. The transmission was not clear but we both thought we were cleared to cross. I looked up the runway as I always do to visually check the runway clear, as the first officer made the transmission that we were cleared. As we approached the middle of runway 22R we both saw an ATR rolling toward us. It was airborne almost immediately and I quickly added power to clear the runway. We realized after talking to the tower supervisor on the phone that the transmission had been a takeoff clearance for the other ATR, which we didn't see on the visibility check because of the ATR's size and our distance from him (approximately 8200'). They didn't hear our transmission apparently because it came at the same time that the ATR made his transmission. The tower supervisor said that they would use the incident as a learning situation and make sure they always said 'hold short aircraft cleared for takeoff.' I always thought a visibility check was a good backup, but now I think a caution light system such as the one in orlando would be much better. In that system there is a yellow flashing light on each side of the taxiway where it intersects a runway that is constantly flashing if the aircraft is not cleared to cross. Supplemental information from acn 168757. I have much better than 20-20 vision and I was looking down the runway the entire time during and after the transmission I made of clear to cross. Even after it happened and after discussing it with the captain we both felt it had to have been the towers error. After discussing this I now feel I know what caused this to happen. By me seeing the captain pushing the throttles forward led me to believe that the call I heard for a YYY cleared runway 22R confirmed what I was anticipating at the exact time. The captain said after discussing this that when he heard me responding that that made him totally sure it was for us, we xed that runway together west/O any doubt about it. I thought I was the only one who for just a split second thought did the tower say xx? But I really, at the time, had no doubt the call was for us to cross. I now believe over anticipation and being to sure of the normal routine events led this to happen. The only other factor which may have played a part, because I still can't believe I did not see the ATR was that we had just flown 3 days in a row (one day trips). Six legs each day and by the time one gets home, and I live only 1/2 hour away, you don't get 8 hours sleep. 'Legally' the trip was legal with block into check in but with some delays and by the time you check out, get the bus to your car and get home, you're lucky to get 8 hours. I was 'tired' by that third day.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF MLG HOLDING FOR CROSSING RWY 22R AT EWR HEARD THE CLRNC THEY WERE EXPECTING ALTHOUGH IT WAS GARBLED SO THEY CROSSED AS ANOTHER MLG WAS SEEN COMING AT THEM ON TKOF ROLL. CLRNC HAD BEEN TKOF CLRNC FOR THE OTHER SAME COMPANY ACFT.

Narrative: WE TURNED OFF OF RWY 22L AT THE SEC HIGH SPD (NEWARK) AND HELD SHORT OF RWY 22R ON BRAVO AS INSTRUCTED. VERY SHORTLY WE HEARD WHAT WE WERE EXPECTING TO HEAR ATR XXX CLRED TO CROSS RWY 22R. THE XMISSION WAS NOT CLR BUT WE BOTH THOUGHT WE WERE CLRED TO CROSS. I LOOKED UP THE RWY AS I ALWAYS DO TO VISUALLY CHK THE RWY CLR, AS THE F/O MADE THE XMISSION THAT WE WERE CLRED. AS WE APCHED THE MIDDLE OF RWY 22R WE BOTH SAW AN ATR ROLLING TOWARD US. IT WAS AIRBORNE ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AND I QUICKLY ADDED PWR TO CLR THE RWY. WE REALIZED AFTER TALKING TO THE TWR SUPVR ON THE PHONE THAT THE XMISSION HAD BEEN A TKOF CLRNC FOR THE OTHER ATR, WHICH WE DIDN'T SEE ON THE VIS CHK BECAUSE OF THE ATR'S SIZE AND OUR DISTANCE FROM HIM (APPROX 8200'). THEY DIDN'T HEAR OUR XMISSION APPARENTLY BECAUSE IT CAME AT THE SAME TIME THAT THE ATR MADE HIS XMISSION. THE TWR SUPVR SAID THAT THEY WOULD USE THE INCIDENT AS A LEARNING SITUATION AND MAKE SURE THEY ALWAYS SAID 'HOLD SHORT ACFT CLRED FOR TKOF.' I ALWAYS THOUGHT A VIS CHK WAS A GOOD BACKUP, BUT NOW I THINK A CAUTION LIGHT SYS SUCH AS THE ONE IN ORLANDO WOULD BE MUCH BETTER. IN THAT SYS THERE IS A YELLOW FLASHING LIGHT ON EACH SIDE OF THE TXWY WHERE IT INTERSECTS A RWY THAT IS CONSTANTLY FLASHING IF THE ACFT IS NOT CLRED TO CROSS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 168757. I HAVE MUCH BETTER THAN 20-20 VISION AND I WAS LOOKING DOWN THE RWY THE ENTIRE TIME DURING AND AFTER THE XMISSION I MADE OF CLR TO CROSS. EVEN AFTER IT HAPPENED AND AFTER DISCUSSING IT WITH THE CAPT WE BOTH FELT IT HAD TO HAVE BEEN THE TWRS ERROR. AFTER DISCUSSING THIS I NOW FEEL I KNOW WHAT CAUSED THIS TO HAPPEN. BY ME SEEING THE CAPT PUSHING THE THROTTLES FORWARD LED ME TO BELIEVE THAT THE CALL I HEARD FOR A YYY CLRED RWY 22R CONFIRMED WHAT I WAS ANTICIPATING AT THE EXACT TIME. THE CAPT SAID AFTER DISCUSSING THIS THAT WHEN HE HEARD ME RESPONDING THAT THAT MADE HIM TOTALLY SURE IT WAS FOR US, WE XED THAT RWY TOGETHER W/O ANY DOUBT ABOUT IT. I THOUGHT I WAS THE ONLY ONE WHO FOR JUST A SPLIT SEC THOUGHT DID THE TWR SAY XX? BUT I REALLY, AT THE TIME, HAD NO DOUBT THE CALL WAS FOR US TO CROSS. I NOW BELIEVE OVER ANTICIPATION AND BEING TO SURE OF THE NORMAL ROUTINE EVENTS LED THIS TO HAPPEN. THE ONLY OTHER FACTOR WHICH MAY HAVE PLAYED A PART, BECAUSE I STILL CAN'T BELIEVE I DID NOT SEE THE ATR WAS THAT WE HAD JUST FLOWN 3 DAYS IN A ROW (ONE DAY TRIPS). SIX LEGS EACH DAY AND BY THE TIME ONE GETS HOME, AND I LIVE ONLY 1/2 HR AWAY, YOU DON'T GET 8 HRS SLEEP. 'LEGALLY' THE TRIP WAS LEGAL WITH BLOCK INTO CHK IN BUT WITH SOME DELAYS AND BY THE TIME YOU CHK OUT, GET THE BUS TO YOUR CAR AND GET HOME, YOU'RE LUCKY TO GET 8 HRS. I WAS 'TIRED' BY THAT THIRD DAY.

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.