Narrative:

An IFR full route clearance had been received from newark clearance delivery and read back. After pushback from cargo, I made several attempts to establish communications with ewr ground control. The captain said that he was going to taxi from our position on the (flight engineer) taxi lane onto taxiway pb up to the outer taxiway. I thought he was doing this to enhance or improve our antenna position for communications. Although I had never seen a captain make an attempt to taxi that far without a clearance, his experience in the ewr environment and the sound judgement he had displayed from mem to ewr made me think it was ok. As we approached the outer taxiway instead of stopping he turned onto the outer as I was attempting to get a taxi clearance with ground control. It happened too quick for myself or the flight engineer to respond. As he stopped the aircraft ewr ground called and informed us that we were on an active taxiway without clearance and should hold our position, return to clearance delivery, as they had no clearance for our flight. The captain remained on ground while I called clearance. As I was communicating with clearance, ground instructed the captain to taxi on the outer, sierra and hold short of taxiway microphone. Our clearance had not changed. I was instructed to contact ground. I am not certain why the captain taxied onto the outer without a clearance or without informing myself or the flight engineer. I think he may have been concerned with a long delay as ewr ground was becoming saturated with departures. I cannot think of anything I could have done in time to prevent his taxiing onto the outer. In the future I will question the captain and ask that he hold position until I understand what his intentions are.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR TAXIES ONTO ACTIVE TAXIWAY WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: AN IFR FULL RTE CLRNC HAD BEEN RECEIVED FROM NEWARK CLRNC DELIVERY AND READ BACK. AFTER PUSHBACK FROM CARGO, I MADE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO ESTABLISH COMS WITH EWR GND CTL. THE CAPT SAID THAT HE WAS GOING TO TAXI FROM OUR POS ON THE (FE) TAXI LANE ONTO TAXIWAY PB UP TO THE OUTER TAXIWAY. I THOUGHT HE WAS DOING THIS TO ENHANCE OR IMPROVE OUR ANTENNA POS FOR COMS. ALTHOUGH I HAD NEVER SEEN A CAPT MAKE AN ATTEMPT TO TAXI THAT FAR WITHOUT A CLRNC, HIS EXPERIENCE IN THE EWR ENVIRONMENT AND THE SOUND JUDGEMENT HE HAD DISPLAYED FROM MEM TO EWR MADE ME THINK IT WAS OK. AS WE APCHED THE OUTER TAXIWAY INSTEAD OF STOPPING HE TURNED ONTO THE OUTER AS I WAS ATTEMPTING TO GET A TAXI CLRNC WITH GND CTL. IT HAPPENED TOO QUICK FOR MYSELF OR THE FLT ENGINEER TO RESPOND. AS HE STOPPED THE ACFT EWR GND CALLED AND INFORMED US THAT WE WERE ON AN ACTIVE TAXIWAY WITHOUT CLRNC AND SHOULD HOLD OUR POS, RETURN TO CLRNC DELIVERY, AS THEY HAD NO CLRNC FOR OUR FLT. THE CAPT REMAINED ON GND WHILE I CALLED CLRNC. AS I WAS COMMUNICATING WITH CLRNC, GND INSTRUCTED THE CAPT TO TAXI ON THE OUTER, SIERRA AND HOLD SHORT OF TAXIWAY MIKE. OUR CLRNC HAD NOT CHANGED. I WAS INSTRUCTED TO CONTACT GND. I AM NOT CERTAIN WHY THE CAPT TAXIED ONTO THE OUTER WITHOUT A CLRNC OR WITHOUT INFORMING MYSELF OR THE FLT ENGINEER. I THINK HE MAY HAVE BEEN CONCERNED WITH A LONG DELAY AS EWR GND WAS BECOMING SATURATED WITH DEPS. I CANNOT THINK OF ANYTHING I COULD HAVE DONE IN TIME TO PREVENT HIS TAXIING ONTO THE OUTER. IN THE FUTURE I WILL QUESTION THE CAPT AND ASK THAT HE HOLD POS UNTIL I UNDERSTAND WHAT HIS INTENTIONS ARE.

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.