Narrative:

The problem arose during peak arrival/departure time at teb when the tower was notified that ewr was switching runways, prompting teb to switch from a south to north operation during this peak period. Ground and tower were extremely occupied trying their best to 'swap' the airport. Our aircraft was holding short of runway 19 when ground control informed us to taxi on to and hold short of runway 24 awaiting arriving traffic on runway 24. We complied with this and noticed the ground controller was 'rattling off' taxi instructions nearly non-stop, when he instructed us to turn right on runway 24, left on taxiway left and hold short of taxiway G, but before we could turn onto runway 24 he told us to continue straight ahead on runway 19 and hold short taxiway G. The other pilot and I noticed traffic on a right base to runway 1 (which we were now on). I told the ground controller and he said the traffic was going around. At this time he informed us that we should have taxied onto runway 24, left on taxiway left and hold short of taxiway G. This surprised us since we both understood we were to continue ahead on runway 19 to taxiway G. We explained our case to the controller and he said not to worry about it. However, once we were established in cruise I contacted the teb tower supervisor on the air/ground line to request the tapes. She advised me that the runway swap happened at a very busy time and created high workloads for pilots/controllers. She further stated that no legal action was required. Ewr could have picked a less busy time to switch runways since the wind favored a north operation all morning long. Why did they wait until then. The ground controller was extremely busy and was issuing taxi clrncs rapidly which created confusion at times. There was little time to confirm hearback/readback.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: G4 CREW RECEIVED CONFUSING TAXI INSTRUCTIONS FROM TEB GND CTL.

Narrative: THE PROB AROSE DURING PEAK ARR/DEP TIME AT TEB WHEN THE TWR WAS NOTIFIED THAT EWR WAS SWITCHING RWYS, PROMPTING TEB TO SWITCH FROM A S TO N OP DURING THIS PEAK PERIOD. GND AND TWR WERE EXTREMELY OCCUPIED TRYING THEIR BEST TO 'SWAP' THE ARPT. OUR ACFT WAS HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 19 WHEN GND CTL INFORMED US TO TAXI ON TO AND HOLD SHORT OF RWY 24 AWAITING ARRIVING TFC ON RWY 24. WE COMPLIED WITH THIS AND NOTICED THE GND CTLR WAS 'RATTLING OFF' TAXI INSTRUCTIONS NEARLY NON-STOP, WHEN HE INSTRUCTED US TO TURN R ON RWY 24, L ON TXWY L AND HOLD SHORT OF TXWY G, BUT BEFORE WE COULD TURN ONTO RWY 24 HE TOLD US TO CONTINUE STRAIGHT AHEAD ON RWY 19 AND HOLD SHORT TXWY G. THE OTHER PLT AND I NOTICED TFC ON A R BASE TO RWY 1 (WHICH WE WERE NOW ON). I TOLD THE GND CTLR AND HE SAID THE TFC WAS GOING AROUND. AT THIS TIME HE INFORMED US THAT WE SHOULD HAVE TAXIED ONTO RWY 24, L ON TXWY L AND HOLD SHORT OF TXWY G. THIS SURPRISED US SINCE WE BOTH UNDERSTOOD WE WERE TO CONTINUE AHEAD ON RWY 19 TO TXWY G. WE EXPLAINED OUR CASE TO THE CTLR AND HE SAID NOT TO WORRY ABOUT IT. HOWEVER, ONCE WE WERE ESTABLISHED IN CRUISE I CONTACTED THE TEB TWR SUPVR ON THE AIR/GND LINE TO REQUEST THE TAPES. SHE ADVISED ME THAT THE RWY SWAP HAPPENED AT A VERY BUSY TIME AND CREATED HIGH WORKLOADS FOR PLTS/CTLRS. SHE FURTHER STATED THAT NO LEGAL ACTION WAS REQUIRED. EWR COULD HAVE PICKED A LESS BUSY TIME TO SWITCH RWYS SINCE THE WIND FAVORED A N OP ALL MORNING LONG. WHY DID THEY WAIT UNTIL THEN. THE GND CTLR WAS EXTREMELY BUSY AND WAS ISSUING TAXI CLRNCS RAPIDLY WHICH CREATED CONFUSION AT TIMES. THERE WAS LITTLE TIME TO CONFIRM HEARBACK/READBACK.

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.