Narrative:

Ewr was busy, we had a 30 mi final at 170 knots. On a 5 mi final, tower had an aircraft lose sight of the visual to runway 29, tower had to give multiple radio calls to assist the aircraft who had several of the calls repeated. There were also numerous stepped on radio calls on tower frequency. After landing on runway 4R we were told to hold short of 4L on kilo behind air carrier Y. We were then cleared to cross runway 4L with air carrier Y and hold short of taxi south. Air carrier Y started to cross, but stopped. We then saw an aircraft taking off on runway 4L. This large aircraft rotated and passed above air carrier Y. We were behind air carrier Y and never in danger. Air carrier Y avoided a catastrophe. Tower was unaware of the problem until air carrier Y reported it. The controller in the tower was extremely busy monitoring ILS to runway 4R, clearing visuals to continue and land on runway 29 as well as crossing runway 4L. Supplemental information from acn 545421: after landing on runway 4R we exited at taxiway kilo and cleared the runway. Holding short of runway 4L behind a B737 as instructed by the tower. We were then cleared to cross, along with the B737, runway 4L. The B737 began to cross runway 4L and then stopped, partially on the runway. At that time we noticed a large, transport category jet on takeoff roll on runway 4L. B737 advised the tower of their position and the aircraft on runway 4L continued its takeoff roll and passed over the B737. We continued to hold short of the runway and were never in any jeopardy. However, since we had also been cleared to cross runway 4L while an aircraft was departing on it we felt the need for this report. The B737 crew acted responsibly and avoided a potential disaster as a result of the tower controller's mistake. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: callback revealed that the lead B737 encroached between 5 and 20 ft onto the runway before apparently realizing that an aircraft had been cleared for takeoff on that runway. The departure aircraft was between 60 and 200 ft in the air as it passed over the lead B737. While there was only one local controller for both departures and arrivals neither reporter remembered hearing the takeoff clearance. The environmental conditions at the time were night with low clouds.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A LARGE ACFT IS CLRED FOR TKOF AT THE SAME TIME TWO OTHER ACR ACFT ARE CLRED TO CROSS THE SAME RWY.

Narrative: EWR WAS BUSY, WE HAD A 30 MI FINAL AT 170 KNOTS. ON A 5 MI FINAL, TWR HAD AN ACFT LOSE SIGHT OF THE VISUAL TO RWY 29, TWR HAD TO GIVE MULTIPLE RADIO CALLS TO ASSIST THE ACFT WHO HAD SEVERAL OF THE CALLS REPEATED. THERE WERE ALSO NUMEROUS STEPPED ON RADIO CALLS ON TWR FREQ. AFTER LNDG ON RWY 4R WE WERE TOLD TO HOLD SHORT OF 4L ON KILO BEHIND ACR Y. WE WERE THEN CLRED TO CROSS RWY 4L WITH ACR Y AND HOLD SHORT OF TAXI S. ACR Y STARTED TO CROSS, BUT STOPPED. WE THEN SAW AN ACFT TAKING OFF ON RWY 4L. THIS LARGE ACFT ROTATED AND PASSED ABOVE ACR Y. WE WERE BEHIND ACR Y AND NEVER IN DANGER. ACR Y AVOIDED A CATASTROPHE. TWR WAS UNAWARE OF THE PROBLEM UNTIL ACR Y RPTED IT. THE CTLR IN THE TWR WAS EXTREMELY BUSY MONITORING ILS TO RWY 4R, CLRING VISUALS TO CONTINUE AND LAND ON RWY 29 AS WELL AS CROSSING RWY 4L. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 545421: AFTER LNDG ON RWY 4R WE EXITED AT TXWY KILO AND CLRED THE RWY. HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 4L BEHIND A B737 AS INSTRUCTED BY THE TWR. WE WERE THEN CLRED TO CROSS, ALONG WITH THE B737, RWY 4L. THE B737 BEGAN TO CROSS RWY 4L AND THEN STOPPED, PARTIALLY ON THE RWY. AT THAT TIME WE NOTICED A LARGE, TRANSPORT CATEGORY JET ON TKOF ROLL ON RWY 4L. B737 ADVISED THE TWR OF THEIR POS AND THE ACFT ON RWY 4L CONTINUED ITS TKOF ROLL AND PASSED OVER THE B737. WE CONTINUED TO HOLD SHORT OF THE RWY AND WERE NEVER IN ANY JEOPARDY. HOWEVER, SINCE WE HAD ALSO BEEN CLRED TO CROSS RWY 4L WHILE AN ACFT WAS DEPARTING ON IT WE FELT THE NEED FOR THIS RPT. THE B737 CREW ACTED RESPONSIBLY AND AVOIDED A POTENTIAL DISASTER AS A RESULT OF THE TWR CTLR'S MISTAKE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: CALLBACK REVEALED THAT THE LEAD B737 ENCROACHED BTWN 5 AND 20 FT ONTO THE RWY BEFORE APPARENTLY REALIZING THAT AN ACFT HAD BEEN CLRED FOR TKOF ON THAT RWY. THE DEPARTURE ACFT WAS BTWN 60 AND 200 FT IN THE AIR AS IT PASSED OVER THE LEAD B737. WHILE THERE WAS ONLY ONE LOCAL CTLR FOR BOTH DEPARTURES AND ARRIVALS NEITHER RPTR REMEMBERED HEARING THE TKOF CLRNC. THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS AT THE TIME WERE NIGHT WITH LOW CLOUDS.

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.