Narrative:

Not sure if this was an incursion or not, but it was at the very least a potential problem. We had landed on runway 22L and were told to taxi taxiway north on taxiway P to hold short of runway 22R at taxiway G behind another aircraft Y. Tower then crossed both of us across runway 22R and told us to hold short of taxiway a on the other side. It took about 2-3 mins for the aircraft Y in front of us to get through to ground control and begin taxiing to their gate. Meanwhile, we were as close to him as possible, but I'm sure our tail was still technically in the runway zone when I saw an aircraft Z begin their takeoff roll on runway 22R. I immediately added power and 'snugged' up diagonally as close as I could to the aircraft X in front in order to try and pull our aircraft X completely out of the runway zone as the takeoff aircraft Z went by. Were we an incursion aircraft? I don't know, but tower should know better than to clear an aircraft for takeoff when there are 2 aircraft on that short taxiway G. I know that we are expected to clear the runway as soon as possible when we are cleared to cross, but how can you when the aircraft in front of you can't move?

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: POTENTIAL RWY INCURSION WHEN A TAXIING B737 PIC IS NOT CERTAIN THAT HIS TAIL IS CLR OF THE RWY HOLD SHORT LINE FOR RWY 22R ON TXWY G WITH AN ACFT ON TKOF AT EWR.

Narrative: NOT SURE IF THIS WAS AN INCURSION OR NOT, BUT IT WAS AT THE VERY LEAST A POTENTIAL PROB. WE HAD LANDED ON RWY 22L AND WERE TOLD TO TAXI TXWY N ON TXWY P TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 22R AT TXWY G BEHIND ANOTHER ACFT Y. TWR THEN CROSSED BOTH OF US ACROSS RWY 22R AND TOLD US TO HOLD SHORT OF TXWY A ON THE OTHER SIDE. IT TOOK ABOUT 2-3 MINS FOR THE ACFT Y IN FRONT OF US TO GET THROUGH TO GND CTL AND BEGIN TAXIING TO THEIR GATE. MEANWHILE, WE WERE AS CLOSE TO HIM AS POSSIBLE, BUT I'M SURE OUR TAIL WAS STILL TECHNICALLY IN THE RWY ZONE WHEN I SAW AN ACFT Z BEGIN THEIR TKOF ROLL ON RWY 22R. I IMMEDIATELY ADDED PWR AND 'SNUGGED' UP DIAGONALLY AS CLOSE AS I COULD TO THE ACFT X IN FRONT IN ORDER TO TRY AND PULL OUR ACFT X COMPLETELY OUT OF THE RWY ZONE AS THE TKOF ACFT Z WENT BY. WERE WE AN INCURSION ACFT? I DON'T KNOW, BUT TWR SHOULD KNOW BETTER THAN TO CLR AN ACFT FOR TKOF WHEN THERE ARE 2 ACFT ON THAT SHORT TXWY G. I KNOW THAT WE ARE EXPECTED TO CLR THE RWY ASAP WHEN WE ARE CLRED TO CROSS, BUT HOW CAN YOU WHEN THE ACFT IN FRONT OF YOU CAN'T MOVE?

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.