Narrative:

We were cleared to taxi to runway 4R at ewr. The normal departure runway is 4L, but due to our weight we required the longer runway (runway 4R). Ground cleared us across runway 4L and told us to hold short of runway 4R (our requested runway). We were holding short at the end of runway 4R when the tower cleared us into position and hold. As we started onto the runway I saw a commuter plane break out of the clouds for my runway. I stopped short of the runway, but past the hold short line. Tower told the aircraft and a subsequent aircraft to go around and we continued into position. As it turns out, tower had cleared us into position for runway 4L. Since we were holding short of runway 4R and had no access to runway 4L, we assumed that we were cleared into position on the runway we were holding short of. To make matters worse, my first officer read back the incorrect clearance (runway 4L). The tower had lost track of us and cleared us into position for a runway that we had no access to. I am assuming that they lost control of who was who. We heard what we were expecting to hear (ie, runway 4R) and in doing so, did not catch the controller's mistake. The lesson to be learned is not to expect a certain clearance, and to listen carefully for mistakes.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BECAUSE OF A WT PROB, THE FLC ON A B727 AT EWR REQUESTED RWY 4R. THEY TAXIED OUT BTWN THE PARALLEL RWYS AND WERE INSTRUCTED TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 4R. A SHORT TIME LATER THE TWR CLRED THE B727 INTO POS AND HOLD ON RWY 4L. THE FO ACKNOWLEDGED RWY 4L BUT THEY TAXIED ONTO RWY 4R RESULTING IN 2 ACFT GOING AROUND.

Narrative: WE WERE CLRED TO TAXI TO RWY 4R AT EWR. THE NORMAL DEP RWY IS 4L, BUT DUE TO OUR WT WE REQUIRED THE LONGER RWY (RWY 4R). GND CLRED US ACROSS RWY 4L AND TOLD US TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 4R (OUR REQUESTED RWY). WE WERE HOLDING SHORT AT THE END OF RWY 4R WHEN THE TWR CLRED US INTO POS AND HOLD. AS WE STARTED ONTO THE RWY I SAW A COMMUTER PLANE BREAK OUT OF THE CLOUDS FOR MY RWY. I STOPPED SHORT OF THE RWY, BUT PAST THE HOLD SHORT LINE. TWR TOLD THE ACFT AND A SUBSEQUENT ACFT TO GAR AND WE CONTINUED INTO POS. AS IT TURNS OUT, TWR HAD CLRED US INTO POS FOR RWY 4L. SINCE WE WERE HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 4R AND HAD NO ACCESS TO RWY 4L, WE ASSUMED THAT WE WERE CLRED INTO POS ON THE RWY WE WERE HOLDING SHORT OF. TO MAKE MATTERS WORSE, MY FO READ BACK THE INCORRECT CLRNC (RWY 4L). THE TWR HAD LOST TRACK OF US AND CLRED US INTO POS FOR A RWY THAT WE HAD NO ACCESS TO. I AM ASSUMING THAT THEY LOST CTL OF WHO WAS WHO. WE HEARD WHAT WE WERE EXPECTING TO HEAR (IE, RWY 4R) AND IN DOING SO, DID NOT CATCH THE CTLR'S MISTAKE. THE LESSON TO BE LEARNED IS NOT TO EXPECT A CERTAIN CLRNC, AND TO LISTEN CAREFULLY FOR MISTAKES.

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.