Narrative:

I was the captain on a flight from burlington, vt to ewr. It was the copilot's leg. Copilot made landing on runway 4R. During landing roll, ewr tower instructed us to turn left when able and hold short of runway 4L. We did not respond to this call because we were in the process of xferring aircraft control. As we were exiting the runway, tower repeated the instruction to hold short of runway 4L to which the copilot (using a boom microphone) responded. As we were stopped with brakes parked, an aircraft took off on 4L. As the aircraft taking off passed us, we received and responded what we believed to be clearance to cross runway 4L and contact ground control. I did look left toward the beginning of runway 4L to see that no aircraft was taking off. I did see an large transport turning onto the runway and believed that he had been told to taxi into position and hold. I advanced power after releasing brakes to cross runway 4L. After moving 1 or 2 aircraft lengths with the nose of my aircraft definitely past the edge of the runway, tower asked if we had been cleared to cross the runway. We responded that we had been cleared to cross. At that point I added substantial power as I looked left to see the large transport was still in a hold position and was not getting larger nor landing lights on. However, in case he was taking off, I could have been completely across the runway before he arrived at my position. If I would have not added power but stopped at that point and the large transport had been taking off, he could only have avoided hitting me by aborting and stopping short of flying over me. After crossing the runway, tower said, 'we will check the tapes. Contact ground on 121.80.' we then got clearance from ground control to taxi to out gate. After departing tower frequency, I noted large transport on the runway turned on his landing lights and began his takeoff roll. Looking back onto this event, I still believe we were cleared to cross the runway. However, if we were not, I can see several contributing factors to the breakdown in communication: similar call signs (1 or 2 aircraft landing ahead of us was some company. He may have exited runway 4R further down the runway and been cleared to cross on a different taxiway on our right side. I never did look in that direction); I may have heard what I expected to hear rather than what was really stated, as my copilot did, who responded on the radio that we were cleared to cross; possibly the copilot's response was not heard because of equipment failure or of not speaking loudly enough into his boom microphone (on a subsequent flight that day, he ad to ewr tower/ground 3 times that the VASI lights on runway 27 were not operating). Obviously, I will give added attention to ATC communications in the future. At all times all parties involved were very busy, but very professional.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW BELIEVED THEY HAD BEEN CLEARED TO CROSS RWY. ENTERING RWY, TWR CTLR QUERIED THEIR INTENTIONS. ACFT IN POSITION FOR TKOF THAT RWY.

Narrative: I WAS THE CAPT ON A FLT FROM BURLINGTON, VT TO EWR. IT WAS THE COPLT'S LEG. COPLT MADE LNDG ON RWY 4R. DURING LNDG ROLL, EWR TWR INSTRUCTED US TO TURN LEFT WHEN ABLE AND HOLD SHORT OF RWY 4L. WE DID NOT RESPOND TO THIS CALL BECAUSE WE WERE IN THE PROCESS OF XFERRING ACFT CTL. AS WE WERE EXITING THE RWY, TWR REPEATED THE INSTRUCTION TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 4L TO WHICH THE COPLT (USING A BOOM MIC) RESPONDED. AS WE WERE STOPPED WITH BRAKES PARKED, AN ACFT TOOK OFF ON 4L. AS THE ACFT TAKING OFF PASSED US, WE RECEIVED AND RESPONDED WHAT WE BELIEVED TO BE CLRNC TO CROSS RWY 4L AND CONTACT GND CTL. I DID LOOK LEFT TOWARD THE BEGINNING OF RWY 4L TO SEE THAT NO ACFT WAS TAKING OFF. I DID SEE AN LGT TURNING ONTO THE RWY AND BELIEVED THAT HE HAD BEEN TOLD TO TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD. I ADVANCED PWR AFTER RELEASING BRAKES TO CROSS RWY 4L. AFTER MOVING 1 OR 2 ACFT LENGTHS WITH THE NOSE OF MY ACFT DEFINITELY PAST THE EDGE OF THE RWY, TWR ASKED IF WE HAD BEEN CLRED TO CROSS THE RWY. WE RESPONDED THAT WE HAD BEEN CLRED TO CROSS. AT THAT POINT I ADDED SUBSTANTIAL PWR AS I LOOKED LEFT TO SEE THE LGT WAS STILL IN A HOLD POS AND WAS NOT GETTING LARGER NOR LNDG LIGHTS ON. HOWEVER, IN CASE HE WAS TAKING OFF, I COULD HAVE BEEN COMPLETELY ACROSS THE RWY BEFORE HE ARRIVED AT MY POS. IF I WOULD HAVE NOT ADDED PWR BUT STOPPED AT THAT POINT AND THE LGT HAD BEEN TAKING OFF, HE COULD ONLY HAVE AVOIDED HITTING ME BY ABORTING AND STOPPING SHORT OF FLYING OVER ME. AFTER XING THE RWY, TWR SAID, 'WE WILL CHK THE TAPES. CONTACT GND ON 121.80.' WE THEN GOT CLRNC FROM GND CTL TO TAXI TO OUT GATE. AFTER DEPARTING TWR FREQ, I NOTED LGT ON THE RWY TURNED ON HIS LNDG LIGHTS AND BEGAN HIS TKOF ROLL. LOOKING BACK ONTO THIS EVENT, I STILL BELIEVE WE WERE CLRED TO CROSS THE RWY. HOWEVER, IF WE WERE NOT, I CAN SEE SEVERAL CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THE BREAKDOWN IN COM: SIMILAR CALL SIGNS (1 OR 2 ACFT LNDG AHEAD OF US WAS SOME COMPANY. HE MAY HAVE EXITED RWY 4R FURTHER DOWN THE RWY AND BEEN CLRED TO CROSS ON A DIFFERENT TXWY ON OUR RIGHT SIDE. I NEVER DID LOOK IN THAT DIRECTION); I MAY HAVE HEARD WHAT I EXPECTED TO HEAR RATHER THAN WHAT WAS REALLY STATED, AS MY COPLT DID, WHO RESPONDED ON THE RADIO THAT WE WERE CLRED TO CROSS; POSSIBLY THE COPLT'S RESPONSE WAS NOT HEARD BECAUSE OF EQUIP FAILURE OR OF NOT SPEAKING LOUDLY ENOUGH INTO HIS BOOM MIC (ON A SUBSEQUENT FLT THAT DAY, HE AD TO EWR TWR/GND 3 TIMES THAT THE VASI LIGHTS ON RWY 27 WERE NOT OPERATING). OBVIOUSLY, I WILL GIVE ADDED ATTN TO ATC COMS IN THE FUTURE. AT ALL TIMES ALL PARTIES INVOLVED WERE VERY BUSY, BUT VERY PROFESSIONAL.

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.