Narrative:

Landed runway 4R at ewr. Taxied off onto taxiway K to hold short of runway 4L. Cleared across runway 4L to hold short of taxiway south, contact ground at taxiway south, told to taxi to ramp via txwys south and B. Controller called us at taxiway B and told us to continue on taxiway south to taxiway a to hold short of taxiway V. Upon passing 're' controller queried us if we past taxiway re. We stated yes and were currently holding short of taxiway rd. At taxiway rd, I noticed a B767 taxiing on a northbound, we were now headed nose-to-nose. Controller stated we were told to hold at re. At rd we were told to turn on taxiway east to hold short of taxiway B. We held short allowing a jet to pass. We were then cleared to turn right on taxiway B continue to taxiway pb. This was an incorrect clearance, could not get to taxiway pb without turning onto taxiway V. Controller came back realizing his mistake and cleared us via taxiway B to taxiway V to taxiway pb. At taxiway V I held short and asked for clearance to enter ramp via taxiway B to taxiway rb. Controller said approved to taxi to taxiway pb as requested. Realizing another mistake, we reconfirmed our taxi instructions. Controller said 'cleared to taxi to taxiway rb.' after block-in, I called the ewr tower at XA00 and spoke to a tower controller who assured us that no action would be taken. He said it was a free for all out there with mass confusion. Human factors considerations: 1) icy runways and txwys causing slow taxi with taxi lines covered by snow and ice. 2) very high ground taxi density. 3) a lot of international arrs with broken english spoken. 4) multiple changes of taxi clrncs. 5) controller's voice was terse.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EWR CTLR RECOGNIZES INCORRECT TAXI CLRNC WHEN CHALLENGED BY CARGO FLC.

Narrative: LANDED RWY 4R AT EWR. TAXIED OFF ONTO TXWY K TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 4L. CLRED ACROSS RWY 4L TO HOLD SHORT OF TXWY S, CONTACT GND AT TXWY S, TOLD TO TAXI TO RAMP VIA TXWYS S AND B. CTLR CALLED US AT TXWY B AND TOLD US TO CONTINUE ON TXWY S TO TXWY A TO HOLD SHORT OF TXWY V. UPON PASSING 'RE' CTLR QUERIED US IF WE PAST TXWY RE. WE STATED YES AND WERE CURRENTLY HOLDING SHORT OF TXWY RD. AT TXWY RD, I NOTICED A B767 TAXIING ON A NBOUND, WE WERE NOW HEADED NOSE-TO-NOSE. CTLR STATED WE WERE TOLD TO HOLD AT RE. AT RD WE WERE TOLD TO TURN ON TXWY E TO HOLD SHORT OF TXWY B. WE HELD SHORT ALLOWING A JET TO PASS. WE WERE THEN CLRED TO TURN R ON TXWY B CONTINUE TO TXWY PB. THIS WAS AN INCORRECT CLRNC, COULD NOT GET TO TXWY PB WITHOUT TURNING ONTO TXWY V. CTLR CAME BACK REALIZING HIS MISTAKE AND CLRED US VIA TXWY B TO TXWY V TO TXWY PB. AT TXWY V I HELD SHORT AND ASKED FOR CLRNC TO ENTER RAMP VIA TXWY B TO TXWY RB. CTLR SAID APPROVED TO TAXI TO TXWY PB AS REQUESTED. REALIZING ANOTHER MISTAKE, WE RECONFIRMED OUR TAXI INSTRUCTIONS. CTLR SAID 'CLRED TO TAXI TO TXWY RB.' AFTER BLOCK-IN, I CALLED THE EWR TWR AT XA00 AND SPOKE TO A TWR CTLR WHO ASSURED US THAT NO ACTION WOULD BE TAKEN. HE SAID IT WAS A FREE FOR ALL OUT THERE WITH MASS CONFUSION. HUMAN FACTORS CONSIDERATIONS: 1) ICY RWYS AND TXWYS CAUSING SLOW TAXI WITH TAXI LINES COVERED BY SNOW AND ICE. 2) VERY HIGH GND TAXI DENSITY. 3) A LOT OF INTL ARRS WITH BROKEN ENGLISH SPOKEN. 4) MULTIPLE CHANGES OF TAXI CLRNCS. 5) CTLR'S VOICE WAS TERSE.

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.