Narrative:

While holding short of runway 4L in newark I observed air carrier X, MD11 holding in position. Another aircraft was cleared the ILS runway 4R. As I looked out to my right (towards final) I saw wingtip landing lights appear. The aircraft appeared to be banking left towards runway 4L. I exclaimed loudly whereupon my captain looked up. A twin propeller appeared from the fog, he must have realized that he was about to strike the vertical stabilizer of the MD11 as he abruptly banked right. His right wing appeared to miss the vertical stabilizer of the MD11 by no more than 20 ft. He promptly was lost from our sight. We queried tower. They stated that they were attempting to determine what had happened. The twin propeller stated that it was on the ground on runway 4R. The air carrier X pilots asked us to submit a NASA report. Supplemental information from acn 323742: air carrier X cleared position and hold runway 4L. Held in position for a couple of mins awaiting takeoff clearance. Heard a roar of engines (turbo- propeller), looked up and saw a small twin very close turning right, airplane visible few seconds before disappearing into fog. Air carrier holding short of runway 4L at taxiway V, reported that a small aircraft just missed our vertical stabilizer. Supplemental information from acn 323886: on the morning of the event, dec/xx/95, at about XA45, I was flying a MU2 aircraft from bkl to teb when the WX at teb went below landing minimums. The WX at ewr was above but deteriorating rapidly. I elected to go to ewr for the landing. I believe the WX at the time I was being vectored for the ILS runway 4R was 100 sky obscured all quadrants, RVR 2400 ft. While vectored RVR went to 1800 RVR, and inbound dropped to 1600 ft RVR. But while inbound, went to 1800 RVR. I was to swap aircraft at teb upon landing because the aircraft was due for inspection. I was asked to look for squawks, and as yet I had not used the autoplt, so I engaged the autoplt for the approach. Inside the OM, the autoplt was slow to respond to the course left&right as well as pitch. At minimums I disengaged autoplt. Aircraft was left of course and I landed the aircraft on runway 4R. There was an aircraft on runway 4L that said he thought I was flying the runway 4L ILS and landed runway 4L. I didn't see him. I was watching the autoplt and the runway 4R lights. The autoplt was written up along with a few other items that day, and went to maintenance. I had just swapped into that aircraft the day before.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TWIN ENG ACFT APCH TO WRONG RWY HAD NMAC WITH MD11 HOLDING IN POS.

Narrative: WHILE HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 4L IN NEWARK I OBSERVED ACR X, MD11 HOLDING IN POS. ANOTHER ACFT WAS CLRED THE ILS RWY 4R. AS I LOOKED OUT TO MY R (TOWARDS FINAL) I SAW WINGTIP LNDG LIGHTS APPEAR. THE ACFT APPEARED TO BE BANKING L TOWARDS RWY 4L. I EXCLAIMED LOUDLY WHEREUPON MY CAPT LOOKED UP. A TWIN PROP APPEARED FROM THE FOG, HE MUST HAVE REALIZED THAT HE WAS ABOUT TO STRIKE THE VERT STABILIZER OF THE MD11 AS HE ABRUPTLY BANKED R. HIS RIGHT WING APPEARED TO MISS THE VERT STABILIZER OF THE MD11 BY NO MORE THAN 20 FT. HE PROMPTLY WAS LOST FROM OUR SIGHT. WE QUERIED TWR. THEY STATED THAT THEY WERE ATTEMPTING TO DETERMINE WHAT HAD HAPPENED. THE TWIN PROP STATED THAT IT WAS ON THE GND ON RWY 4R. THE ACR X PLTS ASKED US TO SUBMIT A NASA RPT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 323742: ACR X CLRED POS AND HOLD RWY 4L. HELD IN POS FOR A COUPLE OF MINS AWAITING TKOF CLRNC. HEARD A ROAR OF ENGS (TURBO- PROP), LOOKED UP AND SAW A SMALL TWIN VERY CLOSE TURNING R, AIRPLANE VISIBLE FEW SECONDS BEFORE DISAPPEARING INTO FOG. ACR HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 4L AT TXWY V, RPTED THAT A SMALL ACFT JUST MISSED OUR VERT STABILIZER. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 323886: ON THE MORNING OF THE EVENT, DEC/XX/95, AT ABOUT XA45, I WAS FLYING A MU2 ACFT FROM BKL TO TEB WHEN THE WX AT TEB WENT BELOW LNDG MINIMUMS. THE WX AT EWR WAS ABOVE BUT DETERIORATING RAPIDLY. I ELECTED TO GO TO EWR FOR THE LNDG. I BELIEVE THE WX AT THE TIME I WAS BEING VECTORED FOR THE ILS RWY 4R WAS 100 SKY OBSCURED ALL QUADRANTS, RVR 2400 FT. WHILE VECTORED RVR WENT TO 1800 RVR, AND INBOUND DROPPED TO 1600 FT RVR. BUT WHILE INBOUND, WENT TO 1800 RVR. I WAS TO SWAP ACFT AT TEB UPON LNDG BECAUSE THE ACFT WAS DUE FOR INSPECTION. I WAS ASKED TO LOOK FOR SQUAWKS, AND AS YET I HAD NOT USED THE AUTOPLT, SO I ENGAGED THE AUTOPLT FOR THE APCH. INSIDE THE OM, THE AUTOPLT WAS SLOW TO RESPOND TO THE COURSE L&R AS WELL AS PITCH. AT MINIMUMS I DISENGAGED AUTOPLT. ACFT WAS L OF COURSE AND I LANDED THE ACFT ON RWY 4R. THERE WAS AN ACFT ON RWY 4L THAT SAID HE THOUGHT I WAS FLYING THE RWY 4L ILS AND LANDED RWY 4L. I DIDN'T SEE HIM. I WAS WATCHING THE AUTOPLT AND THE RWY 4R LIGHTS. THE AUTOPLT WAS WRITTEN UP ALONG WITH A FEW OTHER ITEMS THAT DAY, AND WENT TO MAINT. I HAD JUST SWAPPED INTO THAT ACFT THE DAY BEFORE.

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.