Narrative:

Operating in and out of ewr all week. Using runway 4L 80% of the time. We were cleared taxiway B, taxiway rb, taxiway V, to runway 4L. The question is: was 'delta' stated in the clearance. Not sure. I encountered several distrs at the intersection of taxiway rb and taxiway V. Fortunately, the airport was not busy. It was early. There were only 3 aircraft taxiing and no takeoff or landing traffic. We were directed to hold short of taxiway rb while on taxiway B and then controller changed his mind for other traffic to give way to us. He was on taxiway a near taxiway north. Another aircraft on taxiway B near taxiway C which was converging and no mention was made from controller on who was to give way to who. My first officer addressed stiff controls on the elevator and ailerons, while I proceeded down taxiway V to runway 4R as I have done for many yrs and all that week. I then realized the mistake. Fortunately, tower was handling ground and all frequencys and there was no traffic in the air. I crossed runway 4L at taxiway V instead of taxiway D, taxiway pd to runway 4L which was not heard by any crew member. The controller did not make a big deal of it. He was very polite. I am sure we would. The controller would have felt different had the airport been busy. Also, I would have noticed aircraft take off and land on runway 4L. We always clear before crossing any runway. The biggest factor is: I have had a substandard first officer who is 56 yrs old, failed 2 captain upgrades and has to be watched the entire time. This increases my workload. The company and a majority of the crew force are aware of this first officer. Supplemental information from acn 554907: probable cause of this event was the fatigue caused by the nature of the limit of flying. By that night, both the crew and ewr flight operations were so tired we called our flight by the wrong flight number. Upon check-in with ground/tower (our frequency) we were given instructions 'bravo, hold short romeo, bravo, runway 4L.' I read that back. The captain (of 12 yrs in B727 and most of his flying in the northeast) said 'I've got it,' or words to that effect. It was reasonable to think that he did have the controller's instructions down, and I then did not look at the taxi route further, but instead proceeded to tune radios (121.5) and before takeoff checklist items.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RWY INCURSION WHEN THE PIC OF A NIGHT OP CARGO FLT CROSSES RWY 4L AFTER HAVING BEEN CLRED TO TAXI TO THAT SAME RWY AT EWR, NJ.

Narrative: OPERATING IN AND OUT OF EWR ALL WK. USING RWY 4L 80% OF THE TIME. WE WERE CLRED TXWY B, TXWY RB, TXWY V, TO RWY 4L. THE QUESTION IS: WAS 'DELTA' STATED IN THE CLRNC. NOT SURE. I ENCOUNTERED SEVERAL DISTRS AT THE INTXN OF TXWY RB AND TXWY V. FORTUNATELY, THE ARPT WAS NOT BUSY. IT WAS EARLY. THERE WERE ONLY 3 ACFT TAXIING AND NO TKOF OR LNDG TFC. WE WERE DIRECTED TO HOLD SHORT OF TXWY RB WHILE ON TXWY B AND THEN CTLR CHANGED HIS MIND FOR OTHER TFC TO GIVE WAY TO US. HE WAS ON TXWY A NEAR TXWY N. ANOTHER ACFT ON TXWY B NEAR TXWY C WHICH WAS CONVERGING AND NO MENTION WAS MADE FROM CTLR ON WHO WAS TO GIVE WAY TO WHO. MY FO ADDRESSED STIFF CTLS ON THE ELEVATOR AND AILERONS, WHILE I PROCEEDED DOWN TXWY V TO RWY 4R AS I HAVE DONE FOR MANY YRS AND ALL THAT WK. I THEN REALIZED THE MISTAKE. FORTUNATELY, TWR WAS HANDLING GND AND ALL FREQS AND THERE WAS NO TFC IN THE AIR. I CROSSED RWY 4L AT TXWY V INSTEAD OF TXWY D, TXWY PD TO RWY 4L WHICH WAS NOT HEARD BY ANY CREW MEMBER. THE CTLR DID NOT MAKE A BIG DEAL OF IT. HE WAS VERY POLITE. I AM SURE WE WOULD. THE CTLR WOULD HAVE FELT DIFFERENT HAD THE ARPT BEEN BUSY. ALSO, I WOULD HAVE NOTICED ACFT TAKE OFF AND LAND ON RWY 4L. WE ALWAYS CLR BEFORE XING ANY RWY. THE BIGGEST FACTOR IS: I HAVE HAD A SUBSTANDARD FO WHO IS 56 YRS OLD, FAILED 2 CAPT UPGRADES AND HAS TO BE WATCHED THE ENTIRE TIME. THIS INCREASES MY WORKLOAD. THE COMPANY AND A MAJORITY OF THE CREW FORCE ARE AWARE OF THIS FO. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 554907: PROBABLE CAUSE OF THIS EVENT WAS THE FATIGUE CAUSED BY THE NATURE OF THE LIMIT OF FLYING. BY THAT NIGHT, BOTH THE CREW AND EWR FLT OPS WERE SO TIRED WE CALLED OUR FLT BY THE WRONG FLT NUMBER. UPON CHK-IN WITH GND/TWR (OUR FREQ) WE WERE GIVEN INSTRUCTIONS 'BRAVO, HOLD SHORT ROMEO, BRAVO, RWY 4L.' I READ THAT BACK. THE CAPT (OF 12 YRS IN B727 AND MOST OF HIS FLYING IN THE NE) SAID 'I'VE GOT IT,' OR WORDS TO THAT EFFECT. IT WAS REASONABLE TO THINK THAT HE DID HAVE THE CTLR'S INSTRUCTIONS DOWN, AND I THEN DID NOT LOOK AT THE TAXI RTE FURTHER, BUT INSTEAD PROCEEDED TO TUNE RADIOS (121.5) AND BEFORE TKOF CHKLIST ITEMS.

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.