A B727 PIC taxies past the hold short line on taxiway north and performs an incursion into taxiway D...

Attributes
ACN	404100
Time
Date	199806
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ewr
State Reference	NJ
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : holding ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A330
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 7600 flight time type : 1400
ASRS Report	404100
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground less severe non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : exited adverse environment
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 20 vertical : 0
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other
Situations
Airport	other physical facility

Narrative:

After an extremely long flow control delay followed by a very long taxi, ground control instructed us to taxi via taxiway B, taxiway north, monitor tower, and give way to a heavy airbus. The airbus was on taxiway D, short of taxiway north. We were not sure if the airbus was to continue on taxiway D to hold short of runway 4L or join taxiway north in front of us. We determined the former was correct and proceeded to taxi on taxiway north and held short of taxiway D. We could not confirm with tower due to heavy congestion on the frequency. Unfortunately during our cockpit conversation coupled with unfamiliar airport txwys and inadequate lighting of taxiway hold short markings (on taxiway north short of taxiway D), we taxied about 6-10 ft past the hold short line. The airbus realized what had happened, but proceeded to taxi up to the runway. He stopped about 25 ft from us and asked if his wingtip would clear us. We confirmed it would and he taxied into position and hold. His wingtip cleared us by about 20 ft. I feel that better lighting, commercial chart plate hold short markings, and a better awareness of the close proximity of runway 4L to taxiway north could have prevented this taxiway incursion. Also, heavy aircraft should use taxiway north for runway 4L&right because of the sharp 90 degree turn from taxiway D to enter runway 4L.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B727 PIC TAXIES PAST THE HOLD SHORT LINE ON TXWY N AND PERFORMS AN INCURSION INTO TXWY D THUS CREATING A HAZARD FOR A TAXIING A330. NIGHT OP.

Narrative: AFTER AN EXTREMELY LONG FLOW CTL DELAY FOLLOWED BY A VERY LONG TAXI, GND CTL INSTRUCTED US TO TAXI VIA TXWY B, TXWY N, MONITOR TWR, AND GIVE WAY TO A HVY AIRBUS. THE AIRBUS WAS ON TXWY D, SHORT OF TXWY N. WE WERE NOT SURE IF THE AIRBUS WAS TO CONTINUE ON TXWY D TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 4L OR JOIN TXWY N IN FRONT OF US. WE DETERMINED THE FORMER WAS CORRECT AND PROCEEDED TO TAXI ON TXWY N AND HELD SHORT OF TXWY D. WE COULD NOT CONFIRM WITH TWR DUE TO HVY CONGESTION ON THE FREQ. UNFORTUNATELY DURING OUR COCKPIT CONVERSATION COUPLED WITH UNFAMILIAR ARPT TXWYS AND INADEQUATE LIGHTING OF TXWY HOLD SHORT MARKINGS (ON TXWY N SHORT OF TXWY D), WE TAXIED ABOUT 6-10 FT PAST THE HOLD SHORT LINE. THE AIRBUS REALIZED WHAT HAD HAPPENED, BUT PROCEEDED TO TAXI UP TO THE RWY. HE STOPPED ABOUT 25 FT FROM US AND ASKED IF HIS WINGTIP WOULD CLR US. WE CONFIRMED IT WOULD AND HE TAXIED INTO POS AND HOLD. HIS WINGTIP CLRED US BY ABOUT 20 FT. I FEEL THAT BETTER LIGHTING, COMMERCIAL CHART PLATE HOLD SHORT MARKINGS, AND A BETTER AWARENESS OF THE CLOSE PROX OF RWY 4L TO TXWY N COULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS TXWY INCURSION. ALSO, HVY ACFT SHOULD USE TXWY N FOR RWY 4L&R BECAUSE OF THE SHARP 90 DEG TURN FROM TXWY D TO ENTER RWY 4L.

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.

A B727 PIC taxies past the hold short line on taxiway north and performs an incursion into taxiway D thus creating a hazard for a taxiing A330. Night operation.