Narrative:

After landing on runway 4R at ewr, I received several instructions at one time from the tower controller. After following the aircraft in front of me across the parallel runway 4L, the ground controller told me I was supposed to hold short of runway 4L. I did not hear those instructions. The radio was congested and the tower controller had given the instruction first. The first officer and a jump-seating air traffic controller from new york TRACON also misunderstood the instructions. I did not repeat back the hold short instructions and the tower did not say anything back to me. When I got to the gate, I called the tower to discuss the misunderstanding. The tower supervisor on duty said he might file a report. He called me at my hotel later to tell me he was going to file a report. He told me safety was not compromised. The aircraft that was cleared to take off on runway 4L was not in position to take off. It was turning onto the runway. I was clear of the runway before the aircraft started its takeoff. When I crossed runway 4L I saw the aircraft turning onto the runway. I believe that the things that contributed to this situation, was the congested radio, the controller workload and the fact that I did not ask the controller to repeat the instructions when he gave them to me so quickly.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-400 LAND RWY 4R. TWR ISSUING NON STOP INSTRUCTIONS. THOUGHT WAS CLRED TO FOLLOW ACFT ACROSS RWY 4L. DISCUSSED WITH TWR AFTER PARKING AND ADVISED NO CONFLICT, MAY FILE A RPT. ACFT CLRED FOR TKOF WAS JUST MOVING INTO POS WHEN THE RPTR CROSSED RWY. TWR SUPVR LATER ADVISED A RPT WOULD BE FILED.

Narrative: AFTER LNDG ON RWY 4R AT EWR, I RECEIVED SEVERAL INSTRUCTIONS AT ONE TIME FROM THE TWR CTLR. AFTER FOLLOWING THE ACFT IN FRONT OF ME ACROSS THE PARALLEL RWY 4L, THE GND CTLR TOLD ME I WAS SUPPOSED TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 4L. I DID NOT HEAR THOSE INSTRUCTIONS. THE RADIO WAS CONGESTED AND THE TWR CTLR HAD GIVEN THE INSTRUCTION FIRST. THE FO AND A JUMP-SEATING AIR TFC CTLR FROM NEW YORK TRACON ALSO MISUNDERSTOOD THE INSTRUCTIONS. I DID NOT REPEAT BACK THE HOLD SHORT INSTRUCTIONS AND THE TWR DID NOT SAY ANYTHING BACK TO ME. WHEN I GOT TO THE GATE, I CALLED THE TWR TO DISCUSS THE MISUNDERSTANDING. THE TWR SUPVR ON DUTY SAID HE MIGHT FILE A RPT. HE CALLED ME AT MY HOTEL LATER TO TELL ME HE WAS GOING TO FILE A RPT. HE TOLD ME SAFETY WAS NOT COMPROMISED. THE ACFT THAT WAS CLRED TO TAKE OFF ON RWY 4L WAS NOT IN POS TO TAKE OFF. IT WAS TURNING ONTO THE RWY. I WAS CLR OF THE RWY BEFORE THE ACFT STARTED ITS TKOF. WHEN I CROSSED RWY 4L I SAW THE ACFT TURNING ONTO THE RWY. I BELIEVE THAT THE THINGS THAT CONTRIBUTED TO THIS SIT, WAS THE CONGESTED RADIO, THE CTLR WORKLOAD AND THE FACT THAT I DID NOT ASK THE CTLR TO REPEAT THE INSTRUCTIONS WHEN HE GAVE THEM TO ME SO QUICKLY.

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.