Narrative:

After landing on ewr runway 4R, I slowed the aircraft to exit left toward the terminal. As I prepared to exit on high speed taxiway left, tower told us to continue down the runway, cross runway 29 and turn left at taxiway Z. We did not receive a hold short instruction. This was an unexpected change to our briefed exit plan. There was an aircraft positioning and holding for takeoff on runway 29 as we taxied across that runway, a distraction that captured a few moments of our attention. We exited the runway and started slowly moving along taxiway Z. I noticed a large ramp area ahead of the aircraft and to the right, and the first officer switched to ground control. Ground control told us to switch back to tower. About that time I noticed a hold short line well behind me. I am unsure how far I was over the line, but I was far enough to make me very uncomfortable. I looked left and confirmed that runway 4L extended to taxiway Z. I saw an aircraft well down the runway with its landing lights on (indicating it was cleared for takeoff and would be starting its takeoff roll, or had already done so). I reacted by proceeding across the runway to clear the potential danger. This was an unfamiliar airport. To help prevent similar incidents, I perceived 3 facilitating indicators that runway 4L may not extend to taxiway Z: 1) the tower controller instructions were consistent with what I expect to hear when there are no runways to cross after clearing the active runway. 2) there is a large ramp area beyond the runway 4L departure threshold, which is easily visible as you proceed west from runway 4R toward runway 4L along taxiway Z. It is the same color pavement as the taxiway and runway. The commercial airport familiarization overview page shows runway 4L not extending to taxiway Z.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF A B727 INADVERTENTLY FAILED TO HOLD SHORT OF AN ACTIVE PARALLEL RWY DURING TAXI IN DUE TO UNFAMILIARITY WITH THE ARPT LAYOUT.

Narrative: AFTER LNDG ON EWR RWY 4R, I SLOWED THE ACFT TO EXIT L TOWARD THE TERMINAL. AS I PREPARED TO EXIT ON HIGH SPD TXWY L, TWR TOLD US TO CONTINUE DOWN THE RWY, CROSS RWY 29 AND TURN L AT TXWY Z. WE DID NOT RECEIVE A HOLD SHORT INSTRUCTION. THIS WAS AN UNEXPECTED CHANGE TO OUR BRIEFED EXIT PLAN. THERE WAS AN ACFT POSITIONING AND HOLDING FOR TKOF ON RWY 29 AS WE TAXIED ACROSS THAT RWY, A DISTR THAT CAPTURED A FEW MOMENTS OF OUR ATTN. WE EXITED THE RWY AND STARTED SLOWLY MOVING ALONG TXWY Z. I NOTICED A LARGE RAMP AREA AHEAD OF THE ACFT AND TO THE R, AND THE FO SWITCHED TO GND CTL. GND CTL TOLD US TO SWITCH BACK TO TWR. ABOUT THAT TIME I NOTICED A HOLD SHORT LINE WELL BEHIND ME. I AM UNSURE HOW FAR I WAS OVER THE LINE, BUT I WAS FAR ENOUGH TO MAKE ME VERY UNCOMFORTABLE. I LOOKED L AND CONFIRMED THAT RWY 4L EXTENDED TO TXWY Z. I SAW AN ACFT WELL DOWN THE RWY WITH ITS LNDG LIGHTS ON (INDICATING IT WAS CLRED FOR TKOF AND WOULD BE STARTING ITS TKOF ROLL, OR HAD ALREADY DONE SO). I REACTED BY PROCEEDING ACROSS THE RWY TO CLR THE POTENTIAL DANGER. THIS WAS AN UNFAMILIAR ARPT. TO HELP PREVENT SIMILAR INCIDENTS, I PERCEIVED 3 FACILITATING INDICATORS THAT RWY 4L MAY NOT EXTEND TO TXWY Z: 1) THE TWR CTLR INSTRUCTIONS WERE CONSISTENT WITH WHAT I EXPECT TO HEAR WHEN THERE ARE NO RWYS TO CROSS AFTER CLRING THE ACTIVE RWY. 2) THERE IS A LARGE RAMP AREA BEYOND THE RWY 4L DEP THRESHOLD, WHICH IS EASILY VISIBLE AS YOU PROCEED W FROM RWY 4R TOWARD RWY 4L ALONG TXWY Z. IT IS THE SAME COLOR PAVEMENT AS THE TXWY AND RWY. THE COMMERCIAL ARPT FAMILIARIZATION OVERVIEW PAGE SHOWS RWY 4L NOT EXTENDING TO TXWY Z.

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.