Narrative:

After landing on runway 4R at ewr, tower controller cleared aircraft to exit left off and hold short of runway 4L and to remain on tower frequency. Distance between runways 4R and 4L is short with taxiway P in between. After exiting runway, I started after landing procedures, not checklist, as aircraft was slowing. I looked outside just as captain asked if we were cleared to cross, or hold short. As he was asking the question, I said hold short, hold short. At that time the captain stopped the aircraft immediately, approximately 8-10 ft past the hold short line, but well clear of the runway, by approximately 20-30 ft. It was at this time we noticed lights come on on an aircraft starting its departure roll. Aircraft lifted off approximately mid-field, some 2500 ft prior to our position. No evasive action was taken by either aircraft. Tower controller said something to the departing aircraft about caution aircraft in safety zone(?), but did not tell them to abort. Again, no evasive action was taken by either aircraft. I don't recall whether or not we were cleared to cross taxiway P and hold short runway 4L or just hold short runway 4L. Possibly this is where the captain got confused. Just a clearance to hold short of runway 4L without any cleared to cross instructions would certainly avoid any confusion. Maybe a mandatory stop prior to runway 4L, etc, would be in order. Obviously, a little more caution and diligence or concern would be in order. Supplemental information from acn 427454: our hold short clearance, while quite routine for the controller I'm sure, is given at a busy time in the cockpit and possibly full attention may not be always possible. I'm not sure if there is a fix except exercising more caution.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AFTER LNDG AND RECEIVING TAXI INSTRUCTIONS, B737 PIC MISSES PARALLEL RWY HOLD SHORT LINE. AFTER ADVISING DEP TFC OF B737 POS, DEP CLRED FOR TKOF WITHOUT FURTHER DISCUSSION.

Narrative: AFTER LNDG ON RWY 4R AT EWR, TWR CTLR CLRED ACFT TO EXIT L OFF AND HOLD SHORT OF RWY 4L AND TO REMAIN ON TWR FREQ. DISTANCE BTWN RWYS 4R AND 4L IS SHORT WITH TXWY P IN BTWN. AFTER EXITING RWY, I STARTED AFTER LNDG PROCS, NOT CHKLIST, AS ACFT WAS SLOWING. I LOOKED OUTSIDE JUST AS CAPT ASKED IF WE WERE CLRED TO CROSS, OR HOLD SHORT. AS HE WAS ASKING THE QUESTION, I SAID HOLD SHORT, HOLD SHORT. AT THAT TIME THE CAPT STOPPED THE ACFT IMMEDIATELY, APPROX 8-10 FT PAST THE HOLD SHORT LINE, BUT WELL CLR OF THE RWY, BY APPROX 20-30 FT. IT WAS AT THIS TIME WE NOTICED LIGHTS COME ON ON AN ACFT STARTING ITS DEP ROLL. ACFT LIFTED OFF APPROX MID-FIELD, SOME 2500 FT PRIOR TO OUR POS. NO EVASIVE ACTION WAS TAKEN BY EITHER ACFT. TWR CTLR SAID SOMETHING TO THE DEPARTING ACFT ABOUT CAUTION ACFT IN SAFETY ZONE(?), BUT DID NOT TELL THEM TO ABORT. AGAIN, NO EVASIVE ACTION WAS TAKEN BY EITHER ACFT. I DON'T RECALL WHETHER OR NOT WE WERE CLRED TO CROSS TXWY P AND HOLD SHORT RWY 4L OR JUST HOLD SHORT RWY 4L. POSSIBLY THIS IS WHERE THE CAPT GOT CONFUSED. JUST A CLRNC TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 4L WITHOUT ANY CLRED TO CROSS INSTRUCTIONS WOULD CERTAINLY AVOID ANY CONFUSION. MAYBE A MANDATORY STOP PRIOR TO RWY 4L, ETC, WOULD BE IN ORDER. OBVIOUSLY, A LITTLE MORE CAUTION AND DILIGENCE OR CONCERN WOULD BE IN ORDER. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 427454: OUR HOLD SHORT CLRNC, WHILE QUITE ROUTINE FOR THE CTLR I'M SURE, IS GIVEN AT A BUSY TIME IN THE COCKPIT AND POSSIBLY FULL ATTN MAY NOT BE ALWAYS POSSIBLE. I'M NOT SURE IF THERE IS A FIX EXCEPT EXERCISING MORE CAUTION.

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.