Narrative:

Landed on runway 04R, cleared at taxiway 'left.' cleared across runway 04L, on txwys 'M' to 'right,' south on 'right' to hold short of taxiway 'RF.' ewr ground advised that air carrier might be in the way and that we should call 'port authority/authorized' to see if we had clearance to enter. Our charts show no frequency for 'port authority/authorized' but list ramp as controling agency. Ramp cleared us to the gate. Air carrier was far out of our way and was obviously no factor. There was no indication on our charts of where ground control stopped and ramp began. As we approached taxiway 'RF,' my intention was to double check with ground control, even though I was certain his request to check with ramp to see if we had clearance to enter indicated that it was ok with him if it was ok with ramp. At this point the frequency was blocked for some time as the ground controller read an ATC clearance to a light plane and received a readback (ewr has a dedicated clearance delivery frequency). Since I was so sure ground wanted me to continue to the gate, I turned right onto taxiway 'RF' to clear 'right,' one of the main north/south txwys. Ground control became quite upset at us for taxiing past the taxiway 'RF' hold point without clearance. A small twin jet (I think a canadair) taxied past on the inner north to south. Ground had intended to turn him on taxiway 'RF,' which we had blocked. After aircraft cleared, we were allowed to taxi to the ramp to park at gate. There was excellent visibility. At no time were we in close proximity to aircraft. If the visibility had been reduced it might have been another matter. I think this incident was caused by: communications between my crew and ground control. In retrospect, I think he wanted us to ask ramp if we had physical, ie, wingtip, clearance to get in. We interpreted this as asking for legal clearance to enter. Ramp, in fact, 'cleared' us to taxi to the gate. I heard, as has happened so many times, what I expected logically to hear, when that wasn't what the controller wanted us to understand. Use of ground control for clearance delivery and, in effect, shutting down ground communication while this was going on as well as diverting controller's attention. This type of thing can be prevented by, crews becoming more critical listeners, question if not absolutely certain even if one sounds downright stupid. If not sure, stop. Watch use of terminology for one thing that is often used to mean another, as in 'clearance' for physical clearance when we are so used to hearing the term connected with legal clearance. Supplemental information from acn 316085: we were not able to establish contact to ground control and inner was closed between tower and taxiway RF. We very slowly continued to taxi when ground control commanded us to stop till he advised us to continue! Areas of confusion did exist. Contact 'port authority/authorized' we had never been given that request before. Inner closed and we were holding up the only apparent taxiway off the active landing runway. GA aircraft picking up clearance on very busy ground control frequency at a high density ny airport.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B777 TAXIES BEYOND HOLD SHORT POINT DUE TO CONFUSING PHRASEOLOGY AND FREQ CONGESTION.

Narrative: LANDED ON RWY 04R, CLRED AT TXWY 'L.' CLRED ACROSS RWY 04L, ON TXWYS 'M' TO 'R,' S ON 'R' TO HOLD SHORT OF TXWY 'RF.' EWR GND ADVISED THAT ACR MIGHT BE IN THE WAY AND THAT WE SHOULD CALL 'PORT AUTH' TO SEE IF WE HAD CLRNC TO ENTER. OUR CHARTS SHOW NO FREQ FOR 'PORT AUTH' BUT LIST RAMP AS CTLING AGENCY. RAMP CLRED US TO THE GATE. ACR WAS FAR OUT OF OUR WAY AND WAS OBVIOUSLY NO FACTOR. THERE WAS NO INDICATION ON OUR CHARTS OF WHERE GND CTL STOPPED AND RAMP BEGAN. AS WE APCHED TXWY 'RF,' MY INTENTION WAS TO DOUBLE CHK WITH GND CTL, EVEN THOUGH I WAS CERTAIN HIS REQUEST TO CHK WITH RAMP TO SEE IF WE HAD CLRNC TO ENTER INDICATED THAT IT WAS OK WITH HIM IF IT WAS OK WITH RAMP. AT THIS POINT THE FREQ WAS BLOCKED FOR SOME TIME AS THE GND CTLR READ AN ATC CLRNC TO A LIGHT PLANE AND RECEIVED A READBACK (EWR HAS A DEDICATED CLRNC DELIVERY FREQ). SINCE I WAS SO SURE GND WANTED ME TO CONTINUE TO THE GATE, I TURNED R ONTO TXWY 'RF' TO CLR 'R,' ONE OF THE MAIN N/S TXWYS. GND CTL BECAME QUITE UPSET AT US FOR TAXIING PAST THE TXWY 'RF' HOLD POINT WITHOUT CLRNC. A SMALL TWIN JET (I THINK A CANADAIR) TAXIED PAST ON THE INNER N TO S. GND HAD INTENDED TO TURN HIM ON TXWY 'RF,' WHICH WE HAD BLOCKED. AFTER ACFT CLRED, WE WERE ALLOWED TO TAXI TO THE RAMP TO PARK AT GATE. THERE WAS EXCELLENT VISIBILITY. AT NO TIME WERE WE IN CLOSE PROX TO ACFT. IF THE VISIBILITY HAD BEEN REDUCED IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN ANOTHER MATTER. I THINK THIS INCIDENT WAS CAUSED BY: COMS BTWN MY CREW AND GND CTL. IN RETROSPECT, I THINK HE WANTED US TO ASK RAMP IF WE HAD PHYSICAL, IE, WINGTIP, CLRNC TO GET IN. WE INTERPRETED THIS AS ASKING FOR LEGAL CLRNC TO ENTER. RAMP, IN FACT, 'CLRED' US TO TAXI TO THE GATE. I HEARD, AS HAS HAPPENED SO MANY TIMES, WHAT I EXPECTED LOGICALLY TO HEAR, WHEN THAT WASN'T WHAT THE CTLR WANTED US TO UNDERSTAND. USE OF GND CTL FOR CLRNC DELIVERY AND, IN EFFECT, SHUTTING DOWN GND COM WHILE THIS WAS GOING ON AS WELL AS DIVERTING CTLR'S ATTN. THIS TYPE OF THING CAN BE PREVENTED BY, CREWS BECOMING MORE CRITICAL LISTENERS, QUESTION IF NOT ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN EVEN IF ONE SOUNDS DOWNRIGHT STUPID. IF NOT SURE, STOP. WATCH USE OF TERMINOLOGY FOR ONE THING THAT IS OFTEN USED TO MEAN ANOTHER, AS IN 'CLRNC' FOR PHYSICAL CLRNC WHEN WE ARE SO USED TO HEARING THE TERM CONNECTED WITH LEGAL CLRNC. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 316085: WE WERE NOT ABLE TO ESTABLISH CONTACT TO GND CTL AND INNER WAS CLOSED BTWN TWR AND TXWY RF. WE VERY SLOWLY CONTINUED TO TAXI WHEN GND CTL COMMANDED US TO STOP TILL HE ADVISED US TO CONTINUE! AREAS OF CONFUSION DID EXIST. CONTACT 'PORT AUTH' WE HAD NEVER BEEN GIVEN THAT REQUEST BEFORE. INNER CLOSED AND WE WERE HOLDING UP THE ONLY APPARENT TXWY OFF THE ACTIVE LNDG RWY. GA ACFT PICKING UP CLRNC ON VERY BUSY GND CTL FREQ AT A HIGH DENSITY NY ARPT.

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.