Narrative:

After landing on runway 11 in ewr, the tower told us to 'make a right, right turn on taxiway west then call your ramp.' my first officer did not acknowledge right away. I told him it was for us. The tower repeated the same instructions. At this time, we were approaching taxiway right. Departing aircraft use taxiway right for intersection takeoffs on runway 22R at taxiway west. I believe the controller thought we were making taxiway south, located before taxiway right. When we pass taxiway south, the tower usually orders us to make a 180 degree turn on runway 11 and to clear at taxiway south. As I turned on taxiway right, we were soon facing the A320 waiting for takeoff on runway 22R. They had their taxi light on and it was very difficult to judge the distance. I thought the tower knew we were on taxiway right and the airbus was far away. They finally turned their lights off and I discovered we were pretty close to each other. We were able to maneuver around each other without incident. The controller then asked us our position. We said taxiway right. A silence confirmed what I had thought. Contributing factors: 1) last leg of a 12 hour duty day. 2) night conditions. 3) my first officer not responding to tower (he later told me he had his volume all the way down). 3) the controller not stating 'right on taxiway south,' but simply 'right turn.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN AT43 CREW, AFTER LNDG AT EWR, MISSED EXITING THE RWY WHERE ATC EXPECTED, CAUSING SOME TXWY CONGESTION.

Narrative: AFTER LNDG ON RWY 11 IN EWR, THE TWR TOLD US TO 'MAKE A R, R TURN ON TXWY W THEN CALL YOUR RAMP.' MY FO DID NOT ACKNOWLEDGE RIGHT AWAY. I TOLD HIM IT WAS FOR US. THE TWR REPEATED THE SAME INSTRUCTIONS. AT THIS TIME, WE WERE APCHING TXWY R. DEPARTING ACFT USE TXWY R FOR INTXN TKOFS ON RWY 22R AT TXWY W. I BELIEVE THE CTLR THOUGHT WE WERE MAKING TXWY S, LOCATED BEFORE TXWY R. WHEN WE PASS TXWY S, THE TWR USUALLY ORDERS US TO MAKE A 180 DEG TURN ON RWY 11 AND TO CLR AT TXWY S. AS I TURNED ON TXWY R, WE WERE SOON FACING THE A320 WAITING FOR TKOF ON RWY 22R. THEY HAD THEIR TAXI LIGHT ON AND IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO JUDGE THE DISTANCE. I THOUGHT THE TWR KNEW WE WERE ON TXWY R AND THE AIRBUS WAS FAR AWAY. THEY FINALLY TURNED THEIR LIGHTS OFF AND I DISCOVERED WE WERE PRETTY CLOSE TO EACH OTHER. WE WERE ABLE TO MANEUVER AROUND EACH OTHER WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE CTLR THEN ASKED US OUR POS. WE SAID TXWY R. A SILENCE CONFIRMED WHAT I HAD THOUGHT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 1) LAST LEG OF A 12 HR DUTY DAY. 2) NIGHT CONDITIONS. 3) MY FO NOT RESPONDING TO TWR (HE LATER TOLD ME HE HAD HIS VOLUME ALL THE WAY DOWN). 3) THE CTLR NOT STATING 'R ON TXWY S,' BUT SIMPLY 'R TURN.'

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.