Narrative:

After clearing runway 4R at ewr, tower instructed us to take taxiway P and stay with him. I had exited runway 4R at high speed taxiway left and had made the left turn on taxiway Y when instructions were delivered. Taxiway P is parallel to runway 4L/right and between the 2 runways. Not being familiar with the location of taxiway P and exiting the runway in the immediate proximity of it, I overlooked the taxiway marker. I was additionally distraction by bright construction lights adjacent to runway 4L and 500-600 ft to my left. Assuming runway 4L was closed and taxiway P was ahead of me, I crossed runway 4L. No aircraft were on the runway as we crossed. Tower advised us of our error as we cleared runway 4L. This error occurred due to my expectation that I would be cleared to cross runway 4L at taxiway Y not immediately knowing the location of taxiway P as I exited runway 4R, and my mistaken perception that runway 4L was closed and under construction (as indicated by bright construction lights downfield). Runway 4L was notamed 'last +/-800 ft closed for landing,' but was an operational runway. Increased attention to all possible taxi rtes from landing runway will be mandatory in my arrival briefings. Supplemental information from acn 477427: I read back the instructions and the captain called for the after landing check. I was not familiar with the airport and checked my airport diagram and noted taxiway P was a quick turn to the left and between the runway 4R/left. I knew the captain was familiar with the airport and thought he was comfortable with the taxi instructions and therefore called for the checklist. I went 'heads down' while accomplishing the checklist and when I looked up we were crossing runway 4L at taxiway Y. Exiting the runway is a busy time in the cockpit, particularly on a high speed. You are decelerating, talking on the radios, orienting yourself and accomplishing checklists. I think we might have been very close to taxiway P when given the instructions so the captain was looking beyond the taxiway P to taxiway right, which he was accustomed to taxiing onto the parking area. The last 810 ft of runway 4L was closed and there was no conflict with traffic. I believe if the controller would have mentioned 'hold short of runway 4L' in his clearance, we would not have crossed it, even after missing the turn. We missed the turn and didn't catch it until it was too late. If the taxi instructions were more complete (ie, 'hold short of runway 4L at ___') the incursion would not have occurred with us missing the turn. Supplemental information from acn 477757: I do not have a taxiway diagram so assumed, after completing after landing checklist and communicating with the company as to our gate, as we taxied across runway 4L that taxiway P was on the other side.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RWY INCURSION AT EWR, NJ.

Narrative: AFTER CLRING RWY 4R AT EWR, TWR INSTRUCTED US TO TAKE TXWY P AND STAY WITH HIM. I HAD EXITED RWY 4R AT HIGH SPD TXWY L AND HAD MADE THE L TURN ON TXWY Y WHEN INSTRUCTIONS WERE DELIVERED. TXWY P IS PARALLEL TO RWY 4L/R AND BTWN THE 2 RWYS. NOT BEING FAMILIAR WITH THE LOCATION OF TXWY P AND EXITING THE RWY IN THE IMMEDIATE PROX OF IT, I OVERLOOKED THE TXWY MARKER. I WAS ADDITIONALLY DISTR BY BRIGHT CONSTRUCTION LIGHTS ADJACENT TO RWY 4L AND 500-600 FT TO MY L. ASSUMING RWY 4L WAS CLOSED AND TXWY P WAS AHEAD OF ME, I CROSSED RWY 4L. NO ACFT WERE ON THE RWY AS WE CROSSED. TWR ADVISED US OF OUR ERROR AS WE CLRED RWY 4L. THIS ERROR OCCURRED DUE TO MY EXPECTATION THAT I WOULD BE CLRED TO CROSS RWY 4L AT TXWY Y NOT IMMEDIATELY KNOWING THE LOCATION OF TXWY P AS I EXITED RWY 4R, AND MY MISTAKEN PERCEPTION THAT RWY 4L WAS CLOSED AND UNDER CONSTRUCTION (AS INDICATED BY BRIGHT CONSTRUCTION LIGHTS DOWNFIELD). RWY 4L WAS NOTAMED 'LAST +/-800 FT CLOSED FOR LNDG,' BUT WAS AN OPERATIONAL RWY. INCREASED ATTN TO ALL POSSIBLE TAXI RTES FROM LNDG RWY WILL BE MANDATORY IN MY ARR BRIEFINGS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 477427: I READ BACK THE INSTRUCTIONS AND THE CAPT CALLED FOR THE AFTER LNDG CHK. I WAS NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE ARPT AND CHKED MY ARPT DIAGRAM AND NOTED TXWY P WAS A QUICK TURN TO THE L AND BTWN THE RWY 4R/L. I KNEW THE CAPT WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE ARPT AND THOUGHT HE WAS COMFORTABLE WITH THE TAXI INSTRUCTIONS AND THEREFORE CALLED FOR THE CHKLIST. I WENT 'HEADS DOWN' WHILE ACCOMPLISHING THE CHKLIST AND WHEN I LOOKED UP WE WERE XING RWY 4L AT TXWY Y. EXITING THE RWY IS A BUSY TIME IN THE COCKPIT, PARTICULARLY ON A HIGH SPD. YOU ARE DECELERATING, TALKING ON THE RADIOS, ORIENTING YOURSELF AND ACCOMPLISHING CHKLISTS. I THINK WE MIGHT HAVE BEEN VERY CLOSE TO TXWY P WHEN GIVEN THE INSTRUCTIONS SO THE CAPT WAS LOOKING BEYOND THE TXWY P TO TXWY R, WHICH HE WAS ACCUSTOMED TO TAXIING ONTO THE PARKING AREA. THE LAST 810 FT OF RWY 4L WAS CLOSED AND THERE WAS NO CONFLICT WITH TFC. I BELIEVE IF THE CTLR WOULD HAVE MENTIONED 'HOLD SHORT OF RWY 4L' IN HIS CLRNC, WE WOULD NOT HAVE CROSSED IT, EVEN AFTER MISSING THE TURN. WE MISSED THE TURN AND DIDN'T CATCH IT UNTIL IT WAS TOO LATE. IF THE TAXI INSTRUCTIONS WERE MORE COMPLETE (IE, 'HOLD SHORT OF RWY 4L AT ___') THE INCURSION WOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED WITH US MISSING THE TURN. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 477757: I DO NOT HAVE A TXWY DIAGRAM SO ASSUMED, AFTER COMPLETING AFTER LNDG CHKLIST AND COMMUNICATING WITH THE COMPANY AS TO OUR GATE, AS WE TAXIED ACROSS RWY 4L THAT TXWY P WAS ON THE OTHER SIDE.

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.